--- 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, J. X. collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 10 number: 9 published: 1907-07 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'J. X. Allen, "Consistency," *Improvement Era* 10, no. 9 (July 1907): 745–750.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1009unse 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: improvementera1009unse start_page: 745 end_page: 750 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1907-07) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1009unse publication_year: 1907 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 1907, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # Consistency CONSISTENCY. BY JAMES X. ALLEN, M. D. By consistency we mean a firmness in carrying out a pre-de- termined purpose or design; a correspondence between profession and conduct; a harmonious agreement in the component parts of a machine, building, thesis or discourse; agreeable and pleasing proportions. Inconsistencies: a vulgar or obscene preacher; a, dirty pro- fessor; a professionalman with stubby beard and dirty shoes; a swearing Saint, or a "Mormon" who shirks his responsibilities; a twenty-five cent picture in a two-dollar frame; a fine house totter- ing under the burden of a heavy mortgage; a hundred- dollar buggy drawn by a ten-dollar nag; a family over head and ears in debt, giving great entertainments at their creditors' expense; and last, but not least, a pretty face hid behind a mask of powder or paint. The young men in Zion who are in earnest and wish to be somebody, will need no argument to convince them that their lives should correspond with their profession of faith. It is inconsistent for a wicked man to ape the bearing of a saint; but how much more so for a saint to masquerade in the habiliments of the devil. The servant may seek to imitate and pass himself off as "my lord," and we say "presumption" and "vain;" but should his lordship don the dress and personate the servant, we conclude, 'there is some- ' thing wrong. In section 129 of Doctrine and Covenants we read that Satan may appear as an angel of light; but who ever heard or read of a messenger from high heaven appearing in the garb of Lucifer? Let us imitate these angelic messengers from on high, who never evince shame of their home, their Master or their connections. 746 IMPROVEMENT ERA. **Ye are as a city set on a hill." Courage, be men — be Saints in very deed! It is not sufficient that we do as others do. The Prophet Joseph once told the brethren to follow him as long and as far as he followed Christ, and that is as far as God re- quires us to follow anybody. "That others seeing your good works may glorify your Father which is in heaven. " It will not do to imitate the drunken parson, who admonished his parishoners, **Do not do as I do, but do as I say." It is desirable, and, in fact, imperative, that those who are in- itiated into the fold and family of Christ and take upon themselves his name, should jealously guard the honor of that ineffable name. We should be willing to sacrifice all worldly pleasure rather than bring discredit upon the name that it has pleased the Father to bestow upon us, and which we have voluntarily assumed, "Latter- day Saints." * 'That they are willing to take upon them the name of thy Son, and always remember him, and keep his commandments which he has given them, that they may always have his spirit to be with them." The observance of this prayer, with which the most of us are familiar, would save us from many missteps. In fact, the "al- ways remember him" would render us as near perfect as mortals are apt to become. It is a serious thing to be a covenant breaker; and yet many of us become such, perhaps not wilfully but thoughtlessly: we do not "always remember him." We cannot imagine our Lord entering a saloon and calling for beer and cigars. We cannot imagine him walking the streets puff- ing a lighted cigar, his divine mind occupied by, and his personage enveloped in, smoke. And yet it would not be more inconsistent in our Elder Brother than it is in the younger members of the family to be so overtaken. We are joint heirs with him in the great family inheritance which God has in store for them that love him. A young brother betakes himself on the Sabbath day to some game or questionable amusement, saying to himself, "What harm CONSISTENCY. 747 can it do? If we never do anything worse than that I am doing, we shall not get very far out of the way." In answer to "what harm does it do?" we may ask, "what good does it do?" In the first place, it is a desecration of the Sabbath; and in the second place, it is placing a stumbling-block in the path of those who are jealous for the Lord's day. I well remember a brother telling me of his experience in the mission field. He had presided over the branch of the Church in New York city, and having labored for some time past to convert a particular gentleman, was made glad by his friend informing him that he should give in his name for baptism at the next meeting. At said meeting the convert (?) was present. At the close of the the services the gentleman said to the president, "Is the man you called upon to preach a member of your church?" And on being answered in the affirmative, said, "That settles it, " and he met with the brethren no more. The brother who had spoken at the meeting in question had been guilty of some indiscretion of which this searcher after truth was cognizant, and it proved to be a fatal stumbling-block. "Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, least I make my brother to offend." (I Cor. 8:13.) Consistency includes constancy, stability, and persistency in searching out the things that shall contribute to our present, our future and everlasting welfare. The Prophet Joseph Smith exhorts us to read good books and gather all useful knowledge. We know that knowledge is advantageous to us here; and we have, "The glory of God is intelligence" (Doc. andCov. 93:36). "Whatever principles of intelligence we attain unto in this life, will rise with us in the resurrection" (Doc. and Cov. 130: 18). With these scriptures for our encouragement, it behooves us to be assiduous in the acquisition of all such truths as tend to improve us here and exalt us hereafter. We should not be too dogmatic in our opinions nor in our assertions. The acquisition of knowledge is piecemeal: it does not come to us in floods nor in tidal waves, but in minute fragments, in pro- portion to the amount of energy expended in gathering it —just as with the bee in acquiring its store of honey for the winter months. 748 THE IMPROVEMENT ERA. Therefore the cautious man will exhibit a becoming: modesty in the expression of a mere opinion. The boy in the eighth grade finds that his notions about many things have undergone some change since emerging from the primary department, and will still fluctu- ate more before he shall be in possession of his B. A. degree. The man n)io had seen a ghost, found, when the light was turned up, that a dog had been the source of his terror. The moon, when a long distance from the sun, is a great light and plainly visible; but when near the greatgod of day, it is insignifi- cant and scarcely discernible. With reading, contemplation, and experience, our opinions become modified and corrected. When a — man tells you that he never experienced a doubt never changed his mind, you may question his stock of mental calibre. We are not very apt to investigate a self-evident proposition. "Prove all things, and hold fast to that which is good." Stability is a virtue. "That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the slight of men and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive" (Eph. 4: 14). Having received testimony of our calling and ordination, we should cling tenaciously to the Cross and the Rock of our salva- tion. And yet, there was some show of reason in the Christian who adopted Islamism in place of embracing martyrdom, when he ex- plained that he would prefer trusting his soul in the hands of God, than trusting his body in the hands of those fanatics. Change of mind is, sometimes, an evidence of wisdom. Gladstone was charged with being inconsistent in consequence of his frequent change of front. But he was strenuous for the greatest good to the greatest number of the people whom he wished to serve. He was not like the man whom his lawyer admon- ished, "Tell your story and stick to it." The case in court was about a horse. The opposing attorney asked the witness, **What was the height of the horse?" "Eighteen feet," was the prompt answer. "You mean eighteen hands, don't you?" "What did I say?" "You said eighteen feet." "Then, if I did, I stick to it." There are so many men who feel that they are in honor bound to justify any stand after having once taken it, regardless of its errors, or even of its absurdity. CONSISTENCY. 749 An honest man is at all times ready to give up an error for a truth, but the fool is ever headstrong in his folly. It may be hu- miliating to have to confess that you have been in the wrong; but it is madness to persist in the wrong when the evidence is clearly against you. A number of scientists may witness a certain phenomenon, and the interpretation of each may differ from all the rest; but when a given hypothesis has been demonstrated, all, without hesi- tancy, accept the truth without a suspicion of being inconsistent. The Apostle Paul was honest in persecuting the followers of a risen Redeemer; but when he came to know Christ, his firmness in advocating and defending the truth was justified and praiseworthy, without any suspicion of inconsistency. Every year we are sending hundreds of young missionaries into the world. For what? To persuade honest-minded. God- fearing men to change their minds. Sincerely honest men are ever willing and anxious to give up error and embrace truth. They are also willing to exchange a lesser light for a greater, when the evi- dence shall be clearly portrayed before them. An honest opinion is ever subject to honest change. Knowledge is firm, everlasting and unchangeable. Our elders do not deny that the churches have some truth. They stand upon their truths. Their errors are their weaknesses. The image which Nebuchadnezzar saw was not all clay; its head was of fine gold; its feet were not strong enough to bear the weight of the body; they crumbled and down went the body gold — and all. The errors in the churches are the sandy f ouundations. An iron frame built on shifting sands must of necessity topple over sooner or later. "Many will say unto me in that da}^ Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I know you not. Depart from me, ye workers of in- iquity (Matt. 27: 22, 23). The Master will not condemn a man for the good he may have done, but for that which he has left undone. The house* built upon the sand may be as good as the one erected upon the rock, but the lack of foundation is its undoing. "And are built 750 IMPROVEMENT ERA. upon the foundation of apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner-stone" (Eph. 2: 20). The elders do not ask any person to give up any good thing that he may be in possession of, nor to forego any truth, but they exhort them to add to their faith and lives that which is lacking — the "foundation of apostles and prophets;" the authority of God's priesthood, without which no organization is official, is au- thoritative. ' 'No man taketh this honor upon himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron" (Heb. 5: 4). So many people think it would be inconsistent in them to "The religion that was change from the religion of their parents. good enough for my parents is good enough for me." But to be consistent, they should ignore the higher education; they should forego the automobile, the bycicle, the railways and steamboats; they should use the tallow dip, and spurn the electric light, as a re- flection on the wisdom of the forefathers. In fact, they should stick to the scythe, the sickle, the spinning wheel, and the thim- ble, etc. There is scarcely a thing that was good enough for our parents that is good enough for us! "And I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven hav- ing the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people" (Rev. 14: 6). There is one thing our parents did that we should do, namely, they lived up to the best light which they had. Let us do the same, that we may receive the welcome plaudit, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant: enter thou into the joy of. thy Lord." It behooves us to search diligently the holy scriptures. ' 'Prove all things, and hold fast that which is good." "He that judgeth a matter before he hear it is not wise." In the search after truth we may with advantage bear in mind the admonition of our great exemplar, "No man having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God" (Luke 9: 62). Ogden, Utah.