Mutual Work

MUTUAL WORK. SINGING IN THE ASSOCIATIONS. The Tooele stake officers have requested that some suitable musical selections be printed in the Era for the M. I. A. At a recent meeting of the General Board, the M. I. A. musical director was asked to provide a few such selections, and we hope to print them at an early date for the benefit and use of our associations. The Pioneer stake have appointed John D. Bowers as their chorister, and he will hold regular singing practices in the associations. The officers hope to make singing a feature of their work. In a number of the stakes singing classes have from time to time been organ- ized with good results. INCREASING THE ATTENDANCE. The Salt Lake stake officers are making special efforts this year to increase the active attendance of their associations 50 per cent over that of last year. The labor is resulting in increased numbers in nearly every association. The suc- cess attending the missionary labors of the officers in this work is only a verifica- tion of the fact that labor brings success. Officers of associations are to a degree responsible for the attendance in their associations; and insofar as they have made no effort by personal visitation to the young men to increase the active enrollment, they are to blame for neglect. Try visiting the members at home, and see how it will increase your attendance, place you in direct sympathy with your member, ship, and make your association popular, and an active force for good in the com- munity. THE ERA. Have you obtained your five per cent yet? Here are some facts from letters showing how th3 Era is appreciated: RoyBelnap, Hooper, Utah, writes: "I am very well pleased with the Era, and with the Mutual Improvement work. I think the reading in the Era is very inspiring, and it should be in the home of every Latter-day Saint. May God help the work along."

. 152 IMPRO VEMENT ERA Hans M. Christensen, of Bear River City, Utah, writes October 4; "Have been a subscriber five years, and assure you that the Era is a welcome guest at our home. Many good things I have read in it that have left a lasting impression '" on my mind Under date of October 3, S. W. Rider, Box 42, Logan, Cache County, Utah, gave the following comment: '"The article on page 1,001, Value of Study, is worth the subscription, $2, which I cheerfully send." Elder David B. Brimhall of Apeldoorn, Holland, writes, September 14: "The Improvement Era is a magazine that contains a broad variety of practical religious topics, and has proved to be a most valuable friend to the elders and to our work. May God bless its progress." MONTHLY CONJOINT MEETINGS. The Sabbath evening of Fast day, or one Sunday evening each month, has been given by the First Presidency of the Church to the Mutual Improvement As- sociations for a conjoint meeting. Officers are reminded of the importance of properly conducting these meetings, and of the necessity of providing appropriate exercises. These should reflect the work of the regular meetings as much as pos- sible. The young men and young women should be given a chance to pray, to speak, to sing, and to bear testimony. A good lecture by a competent speaker, who is full of the spirit of the gospel, is well enough occasionally, but occupying the time by one lecturer, and on other than M. I. A. topics, should not be made a regular practice each month. Neither should- the time be given to the programs or meetings of other organizations, singing schools, or concerts. It is the M. I. A. evening; other organizations are given other times and places. Where officers neglect to make the monthly conjoint Sunday evening meetings who are invited in to profitable, both for the yo ,- ng people and for their parents listen to them, they are not doing their full duty, nor making the best of the privileges that are granted them. The president who makes the announcement that "an interesting meeting will be held," and makes no further provision or preparation is shirking his labor. It is time he waked up and did some work, looked for the talent among the young people, and gave them something to do- He should meet with his officers, and with the officers of the Young Ladies, and pro- vide a way to make the conjoint meeting a typical reflection of the various phases of M. I. A. work, interesting and profitable to all who attend. And especially, it should be a meeting where the young people are the doers, and not where a stand- ard orator or recognized speaker may attract a crowd, many of whom are inter- ested only in the speaker, knowing little and caring less for the work of the asso- ciations. Neither do people hear at the most of these lectures anything to en- lighten them on M. I. A. work and its objects. Our organizations are designed as schools of practice for the young men and the young women, not as lecture bureaus to entertain the general public. The conjoint meetings should be conducted in the line of our work. A program an-

: MUTUAL WORK. 153 nounced for the November conjoint meeting of one of the Salt Lake stake wards seems to us very happy. Lesson 4 in the M. I. A. manual treats on prayer, and a similar lesson had been considered in the Young Ladies' Association. The leading I thought of the evening was prayer. The opening congregational hymn was, "Let Thy Holy Spirit;" prayer was offered by one of the youngmen who, it is presumed, asked very appropriately that God would let the spirit of prayer rest upon the congregation and speakers. He asked directly for what was most needed at the time and place. Then the hymn, "Joseph Smith's First Prayer," was sung with feeling and spirit. A young ladv spoke in a most creditable manner on "Prayer and the Lord's Prayer." A mixed quartette sang "My Prayer." "The Meaning of Prayer" was treated by a young man who called attention to the preparation needed by the person before he could consistently approach God for an answer to his peti- tion — faith, humility, forgiveness in his heart for all men, and pure motive; — and also the effect that such prayer would have on the petitioner. "Ye receive the Spirit through prayer, " are comforted, are helped to conquer your baser selves, are kept from sin and temptation, are given greater power, wisdom and might, and placed in harmony with the Holy Ghost. Then the closing passage on the value and habit of prayer might have been quoted from the manual Prayer provides spiritual exercise, and so keeps active and strong the eternal spirit in man, enabling it to master the physical and overcome the passions of the flesh. Prayer places man in a pure atmosphere where God's Spirit takes h Jd of the hand to lead, and enters the mind to direct; and in such environment clean thoughts thrive, and are manifest in good and noble actions. Prayer keeps you in the faith. No man can depart from the right or apostatize, as long as he prays in the proper spirit. Prayer is one of the most valuable habits that a young man can form; it is a safeguard in youth, a comfort and a pillar of power and strength in middle life, and in old age a consolation that wipes away the sting of the grave, and takes from death its victory. To close the services, the congregation, accompanied by organ music, sang with deep feeling: "Prayer is the soul's sincere desire," and a young lady.keep- ing in mind the communion of the Holy Ghost manifest in the meeting, thanked God for it, and that he had permitted them to enjoy the apirit of prayer which she asked might continue with them in their daily lives. We appeal to stake and ward officers to get to work and provide for making the monthly conjoint meetings successful features of their M. I. A. work. MONTHLY OFFICERS' MEETINGS. There is lively interest manifested in the Mutual improvement work in the Cache stake. "An exceedingly interesting monthly convention, " writes Secretary Frederick Scholes, November 12, was held by us last Sunday evening, on which occa- ' ' sion we instituted department work. One department for the Senior and Junior classes,one department for the officers, and one department for the choristers. The convention was well attended, and enjoyed by all those who were present." These monthly gatherings of officers should be held in every stake of Zion.

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