--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Allen, James X. collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 9 number: 10 published: 1906-08 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'James X. Allen, "The Man Who Does Things," *Improvement Era* 9, no. 10 (August 1906): 772–774.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera0910unse 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: improvementera0910unse start_page: 772 end_page: 774 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1906-08) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera0910unse 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. --- # The Man Who Does Things MAN WHO DOES THINGS. BY J. X. ALLEN, M. D. We all like the man who does things. "More work and less talk," is an old saying, and it holds just as gooJ today as it ever did. Talk, when of the right kind and suited to the occasion, is never out of place. No sensible company objects to it. But to make it of intrinsic value, it must be accompanied by action. The man who is all talk and no work does not count in these days of "go." The government, or any man of business, for that matter, they do not care so much for recommendations, nor for longspun yarns about education, high connections, and all that sort of thing, but they want to know "What has he done?" Let this question be satisfactorily answered, and an agreement is soon arrived at. Practical men are in demand in every walk of life. Theorists are all right in their time and place. But the theorist is useless when solid work has to be done. Under the French government, theorists killed the Panama canal project. But no sensible man anticipates failure in that gigantic undertaking so long as Theodore Roosevelt is at the helm of the ship of state. And why not? Because Theodore Roosevelt has demonstrated to the world, beyond all question, that he is the man who does things. And there is no such word as "fail" in the American Roosevelt vocabulary. Why has the name "Moses" remained green so long, and why has it grown bigger and bigger with each succeeding century ?v Simply because Moses did things. THE MAN WHO DOES THINGS. 773 The world is growing more and more appreciative of the men of action—the men who accomplish things. There have been times in the history of the world, when the metaphysician occupied the highest seat in the synagogue—when the theorist was "on top," so to speak, but such is not now, nor is it likely to be the case in this the twentieth century. We now exalt the names of such men as Thomas Edison, Marconi, James B. Eads, etc. Just such names as these are held up as beacon lights to the young men of this generation. The men who do things are our buglers, and the recruit who ignores them is not likely to meet with speedy promotion. Why are the names of George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, U. S. Grant, and Theodore Roosevelt printed so large on the nation's banner? Were they better than many others whom the nation has honored? Perhaps not, but the names I mention are those of men who did and do things. Those names stand for "things done!" The name Alexander lives, not because he believed or did not believe this, that or the other theory, but because he was a man who did things. Why is the name Paul \he second most popular of New Testament names? He was not at the head of the Christian church in his day, was not even numbered among the Twelve. And yet in Christendom, Paul's name leads the names of all others. It was and is because he did things! He was a worker, and his works follow him. How many kings, presidents, popes and great names have passed away, and all the record we have of them is, ' 'They lived, they died." And there is the whole history. It is the man who does things whose name lives, and the more he does, the longer he lives. Why does the name of President Brigham Young stand out so much more prominently than that of many of his co-laborers? Is it because he was better or more powerful and Godly in 'his daily life? Compare his life with the lives of Sidney Rigdon, Strong and others who prated so much about "Legal succession" and all sorts of things. Compare his life and work with theirs, and, my word for it, you will be satisfied that God made no mistake when he 774 IMPROVEMENT ERA. called him to lead Israel. He was a man in whom the Spirit of Christ dwelt. His works follow him, and the Lord is justified in having called a leader who "did things." I have been looking over the lives of the three last-called apostles, at our last General Conference. I cannot find that any consideration was given to their genealogy, to their worldly possessions, or wealth. They are all men of energy, God-fearing, active men, who've done something. The Almighty saw them, perceived their fitness; he called them, and all Israel said, Amen. I do not wish to weary you, young men, by too lengthy a talk, but I would like to call your attention to the admonition of the Apostle Paul to his friend Timothy (II Tim., 2: 15): "Study to show thyself a workman, approved," etc. While I do not object to young men speculating a little occasionally, and suggesting some theory of their own, I do wish to emphasize the words of the Master, "And every man should be rewarded according to his works" (Matt. 16 and 27). My object in making this talk is to try and stimulate the young men of "Ideas," a few who talk more than they work; I wish to have them get up some action. Nobody objects to your theorizing on questions on which the Church has not spoken, but I seriously object to any arguments against "Thus saith the Lord/' Whatever God says is the end of controversy, and I do beseech you, "Be not found fighting against God." Once in a while I hear, "The bishop thinks that so and so are all the men there are in the ward." Let me tell you, young men, the bishop is responsible for the work in his ward. When work is to be done, he must of necessity call on the best qualified and the most willing to do the work. If you wish, which I trust you do, to advance in the Church and in favor with God, be clean, be honest, meet squarely and honestly all your obligations to the world, your family, to God and to his Church. Be always on hand to do what your rightful leaders ask you to do, and, my word for it, you will advance in the priesthood, you will be happy in your family, and your neighbors will respect and honor you. Ogden, Utah.