--- 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, Joseph F. collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 9 number: 7 published: 1906-05 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'Joseph F. Smith, "Editor’s Table," *Improvement Era* 9, no. 7 (May 1906): 558–566.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera0907unse 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: improvementera0907unse start_page: 558 end_page: 566 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1906-05) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera0907unse 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. --- # Editor’s Table EDITOR'S TABLE. THE ANNUAL CHURCH CONFERENCE. The seventy-sixth annual conference, held on April 6,7,8, was. characterized by an attendance of people from all parts of the Church, perhaps, never exceeded in its history. President Joseph F. Smith's opening address on Friday morning showed that prosperity, unity and love prevailed among the people. The reports from the various mission fields were encouraging, and the entire conference was full of interest, enjoyment and enthusiasm. More tithing had been paid during the year 1905-6 than ever before in the history of the Church, notwithstanding the assaults of its enemies upon that principle. The quorums of the Priesthood and the auxiliary organizations were reported in splendid condition. The weather was all that could be expected, the usual storms having preceded the days of conference which were warm, clear and beautiful. Following are some important excerpts from President Smith's address: Prosperity, Love and Union. It has been now six months since our semi-annual conference, since we last assembled, and many interesting things have transpired since then. Prosperity—and I do not say it boastingly at all, but in the very depths of humility and gratitude—prosperity seems to have crowned the efforts of the Latter-day Saints throughout the length and breadth of the land. I believe that the spirit of devotion to the cause of Zion has prevailed throughout all the Church, during the last six months, more than ever before in the history of the Church. I believe that we have been, speaking in a general way, as united as ever before, and if it were not that some might think we were boasting, I would venture EDITOR'S TABLE. 559 to say that, in my judgment, the people, the Latter-day Saints, the Priesthood, the general and local authorities of the Church, and the people as a whole, have never been more united than we are today. The Twelve. With reference to the brethren of the Twelve, with whom we are intimately associated, and with whom we have met from week to week, and often day to day, in council, I have to say that those of them who have been with us are in full harmony and union with us, and are united together. I believe that the brethren of the Twelve who have been at their posts, and have been performing their duty, stand solid for the advancement of the kingdom of God, and are united in their views and thoughts and labors for the upbuilding of Zion. There are circumstances connected with these matters which are not altogether pleasant, and which are fraught, in some degree, and in some respects, with very serious consequences. But I have no hesitancy in recommending to you brethren of the Priesthood, the members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, those members of the council of Apostles who have kept within the spirit of their calling, and who have sought to magnify the same, and who have been constant, in season and out of season, in the performance of the duties that have devolved upon them. They are worthy of the confidence of the people, of the Latter-day Saints, and are valiant in their testimony for the truth, and are earnest and vigilant in their watchcare over the interests of Zion submitted to them, and have labored diligently in the mission field, at home and abroad, as much as opportunity afforded. Work for the Priesthood Quorums. The presidents of stakes of Zion are endeavoring to arouse the members of the various councils of the Priesthood to a realization of the great responsibility that devolves upon them by reason of the^Priesthood that has been conferred upon t hem, and by reason of their connection with the quorums to which they belong; and|we hope to see the day, and expect to see the day, when every council of the Priesthood in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter- 560 IMPROVEMENT ERA. day Saints will understand its duty, will assume its own responsibility, will magnify its calling, and fill its place in the Church, to the uctermost, according to the intelligence and ability that it possesses. And when that day shall come, we will not have so much necessity for the work that is now being done by the auxiliary organizations of the Church, because the work will be done by the regular quorums of the Priesthood. The Lord designed it in the beginning, and comprehended it from the beginning, and he has made provision in the Church whereby every need of the people, every necessity of the Church, may be met and satisfied through the regular organizations of the Priesthood in the Church. It has truly been said that the Church is perfectly organized, and the only trouble is that these organizations are not fully alive to the interests of the Church and to the obligations that rest upon them. When they become thoroughly awakened to their duty and comprehend the requirements that the Lord makes of them, they will fulfill their duties more faithfully and the work of the Lord will be all the stronger and more powerful and influential in the world. The Great Work of the Y. M. M.I. A. Our Young Men's Mutual Improvement Associations are in as good care or keeping as could be expected. This is an organization which only continues a portion of the year. During the busy season when young men are required on the farms or in the harvest fields, our Mutual Improvement organizations cease their activity for a time, but they are taken up again in the fall of the year and the work is carried on through the winter when the youth of Zion have more leisure and are able to attend their duties in these organizations. I desire to say that our best missionaries are culled from these Mutual Improvement organizations, the young men that make the most efficient missionaries, that make the best mark in their fields of labor abroad, are those who have been faithful to their duty in these organizations and who have graduated from them, so to speak. It is true we have a missionary class in each of our Church schools, where the young elders, young men who have not paid very much attention to religious matters, who are not well EDITOR'S TABLE. 561 read in the scriptures and who have given but little thought to their religion, may go for a short season and receive instruction. But this work is only comparatively a temporary work, as compared with the work of the Mutual Improvement Associations. It is too brief altogether, and those who attend these classes are generally pushed for time, in a hurry, want to get home and go to work again, and can scarcely spare the time sufficient to finish their course in this class. Therefore, I repeat that our best elders, our most efficient workers in the mission field, are those that have given most attention to the Mutual Improvement work at home. So that it is doing good. The Young Ladies' Mutual Improvement Associations are also prosperous and are doing a glorious and good work. Yet for both of these organizations the field is broad, and indeed the laborers are few; but they are doing the best they can, I believe, under the circumstances, and I have only words of commendation to speak for them or in their behalf. Tithing Exceeds Previous Years. I want to say to the people that the year 1905 has been the banner year for the tithing of the Latter-day Saints. You can put that down in your memorandum books and remember it. Never in the history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have the people contributed as much tithing as they did in 1905. And yet they have not done anything more than their duty; and there are a great many other Latter-day Saints that have not even done that, have not done their duty, as the books will show. And I want to say to you, my brethren and sisters, that a most thorough search and auditation of the books of the trustee-in-trust, of the books of the presiding bishopric, and of the books and accounts and business of the Deseret News company, have been made by the auditors that were appointed and sustained at our last conference, and before the conclusion of this conference we will read you their report, and I believe you will be perfectly satisfied with it. The man that complains about not knowing what is done with the tithing, in 99 cases out of a hundred, is the man who has no credit on the books of the Church for paying tithing, and we don't care to exhibit the 562 IMPROVEMENT ERA. books of the Church to such carpers and to those individuals. Butthere is not a tithing payer in the Church that cannot go to the presiding bishop's office, or to the office of the trustee-in-trust, and iind and see his account, and see to it that every dollar that he has given to the Lord for tithing is credited to him there, and then, if he wants to do more searching as a tithe-payer and find out how the tithing is paid out, what is done with it, we will set before him the whole thing, so that he will see the whole thing, and if he has got any good counsel to give us we will take it from him. But we will not, because we do not have to, and it is not a business way that would require of us, to make our books open to the world, and we won't do it—unless we have to. We are not ashamed of them. We are not afraid for them to be inspected. They are honest and straight, and there is not a man in the world that will look at them but what will say so, if he is an honest man. Mission Homes. Our mission homes in the world, we are contributing for, for the purchase of them, and today we have more headquarters in foreign missions, in Great Britain, in Scandinavia, in the United States, and in the islands of the seas—we have more headquarters belonging to the Church where our elders may rendezvous, where they may meet for counsel, and find a resting place in time of .sickness or distress, than ever the Church had before in all the world. Now I don't say that to boast at all, I don't say anything to boast, but I simply give this to you for information and as a statement of fact; and I say that notwithstanding the opposition, notwithstanding the bitterness, the hatred, the falsehoods, the slanders and misrepresentations with which the public press has been filled for years concerning the Latter-day Saints, and concerning the authorities of the Church, there never was a time when the Church prospered more than it is doing today, and I don't know but what we ought to be thankful for it, that is, thankful for what our enemies have done for us in that way. What the Church Stands for. The Church stands for virtue, for honor, for truth, for purity of life, for love and good will to all mankind. It stands for EDITORS TABLE. 56^: righteousness and for God the Eternal Father, and for Jesus Christ whom the Father sent into the world, and whom to know is life eternal. And that is what this Church is for, and it will not tolerate abomination and crime and wickedness on the part of those whoclaim to have some connection with it in times past. We must sever ourselves from them, and let them go. Not that we want to hurt them. We do not want to hurt them. We do not want to hurt anybody. We never have hurt anybody, and we do not intend to hurt anybody, but we do not intend to be hurt by those that are seeking our destruction, if we can help it. It is right to protect ourselves. ARE THESE SIGNS OF CHRIST'S COMING? In connection with the terrible disaster which has befallen San Francisco, many other recenc horrors will be called to mind. Duiing the first week of April, Mount Vesuvius, which has neverbeen at rest entirely since the great eruption of 1631, began an ominous activity which increased in severity day by day until it was thought that the experience of Pompeii and Herculaneum might be re-enacted. Over 150,000 refugees deserted the to\\Tis near the volcano, and fled to Naples. There were many fatalities. Volcanic ashes fell as far as Naples, where, on the 10th of April, the market building collapsed, from the weight of ashes which had fallen upon its roof, burying 250 persons. Since Pompeii was destroyed, in A. D. 79, there have been twelve serious eruptions, the last being in 1872 when sixty lives were lost. Then there was the frightful catastrophe in Courrieres, Northern France, on the 10th of March, when 1800 men, at work in a coal mine, were buried through an explosion of fire-damp which wrecked the galleries and mining apparatus. Fire followed the explosion and made rescue impossible; twelve hundred miners were entombed, and twenty days thereafter only thirteen men were taken out alive. ThpyJiad kept themselves alive by eating horse- 564 IMPROVEMENT ERA. flesh, but had suffered terribly from thirst. Five days later another miner was taken out alive, but the remainder perished. The recent disaster on Society Islands, caused by a terrific tidal wave which swept the islands, created great damage to property and life. Added to this is the great famine in Northern Japan where thousands have perished for lack of bread, and 680,000 are in a starving condition. There are anarchy, civil strife and devastation which appear to be overwhelming Russia. There were rumors of war, also, which attended the Algeciras conference, which, however, happily ended by an agreement on March 31, in which neither France nor Germany can claim a clear diplomatic victory, although France may be said to have gained its main points, and will practically control Morocco. Surely these and many other similar things point to the signs of the coming of Christ to judgment: "For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there shall be famines, and there shall be pestilences and earthquakes in divers places, .... and ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars .... these are the beginnings of sorrow .... and there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.'' ' 'And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come." "And then shall they see, the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory." However, some very wise and smart people say truly that similar calamities have occurred, at stated periods, for a very long time, in the world's history, and they, therefore, scout the idea that these conditions will ever cease, or that ihere is any significance in these signs. But the believer in the words of Christ is warned that so it should be; men would say, the Lord delayeth his coming. - But the day and the hour is unknown; yet, whether or not he shall come soon, it is our duty to help the buffering, aid the afl^lict- EDITOR'S TABLE. 565 ed, and do our part to assuage grief and make life pleasant around us. Likewise, because that day and hour is unknown, we ought to watch like good servants, and be prepared, expecting every moment our Master's coming. A FATHER'S PRAYER FOR HIS MISSIONARY SONS. Your narrations about tracting and street speaking all have a familiar sound to my ears, as I have done the like many a time myself. I never felt overly confident nor gratified with that class of work, and only engaged in it in the sense of doing my duty, and when I felt the approving influence of the good Spirit, which I almost always did. My knees used to tremble and almost shake when entering upon the task of street speaking, but when once well into it, I felt no fear, but strong in the Lord. I know you will do your duty to the best of your ability and according to the promptings of God's gracious Spirit within you. And I have only to say, I want you to use wisdom with zeal, and judgment with fervor, and God, our merciful Father, will abundantly bless, protect, and reward you. Our hearts are full of blessing for you, all the time, and for all your companions, and we hold you up in remembrance before the Lord whenever we pray: 0 God, our Father, bless, comfort, sustain, and make efficient my sons and all thy servants in the mission field. When doors are shut in their faces, give them grace, forbearance and forgiving hearts; when coldly spurned by scornful men, warm them by thy gracious love; when cruelly treated and persecuted, be thou present to shield them by thy power. Make thy servants to know thou art God, and to feel thy presence. Feed them with spiritual life, and with perfect love which casteth out all fear; and may all their bodily needs be supplied. Help them to store their minds with useful knowledge, and their memories to retain thy truth as a well-filled treasure. May they be humble before thee, and meek and lowly as thy gracious Son. Help them to put their trust in thee, in thy word, and in :566 IMPROVEMENT ERA. ^thy gracious promises; and may wisdom and judgment, prudence and presence of mind, discretion and charity, truth and purity and honor and dignity, characterize their ministry, and clothe ^them as with holy garments. 0 God! bless abundantly thy young .servants with every needed gift and grace and holy thought, and power to become thy sons in very deed! And thus we pray for you, and I have this assurance: if you will use good judgment, act wisely, and guard yourself, so far as possible, from cunning men and deceitful women, and the wicked devices of the world, all will be well with you, and God will deliver you out of every sorrow and trouble, and help you to magnify his name and honor his cause, and bring you home in safety.