---
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: 12
number: 7
published: 1909-05
publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations
publisher_place: Salt Lake City
language: en
type: magazine
reference: 'Joseph F. Smith, "Editor’s Table—Search and Ye Shall Find," *Improvement Era* 12, no. 7 (May 1909): 561–562.'
source:
  url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1207unse
  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: improvementera1207unse
start_page: 561
end_page: 562
rights:
  status: public-domain
  basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1909-05)
  source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1207unse
  publication_year: 1909
  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 1909, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright.
---

# Editor’s Table—Search and Ye Shall Find

<!-- page:561 -->

EDITOR'S TABLE.

                     SEARCH AND YE SHALL FIND-
       A very important consideration for the Latter-day Saints is
to give thought to the reading matter that is introduced into their
homes.       There   is   a class of literature which gains admission into
some of the homes of our people which may be said                 to be nothing
less   than vicious in      its   character.    It is   a cheap and sensational
class which has a tendency to           destroy a desire for reading that
requires thought and consideration, and develops intellectuality.
This class of literature           may well be banished from our homes,
and as it is the     custom in the      spring to clean house to       make the
surroundings of the homes sweet and endurable,                   it   would not
be amiss to have a house cleaning in regard to reading matter.
Newspapers of the cheap and sensational story style have alto-
gether too many readers, and their elimination from the reading
tables of the people would be a thing to be earnestly desired.             Our
own    literature    should have consideration instead, and from our
numerous magazines many valuable and important truths might be
learned of which at present it appears that many of the people
are ignorant.  We sometimes hear complaints that we have too
much Church literature and too many Church papers and maga-
zines; but it is a fact that the papers         and magazines taken aside
from the Church publications are so numerous that if the latter
were fewer in number, the reduction might only add to the number
of outside    publications subscribed for, many of which are really
useless to those      who read them.           It is true that there are many

valuable papers and magazines that are worth while reading, but
these are often neglected for the sensational class, so that tons of
cheap and trashy literature are yearly introduced into the homes
of the people.

<!-- page:562 -->

This criticism might well be applied also to books.             There is
altogether too     much novel reading       of that class of novels which
teaches nothing useful, and only tends to the excitement of the
emotions.        Excessive novel reading we all know is detrimental to
the intellectual development of those                who engage in it, and the
wise and those who seek advancement might well give more time
to useful, educational works       — books that would enlighten the reader
on history, biography, religion, and other important subjects which
all   well-informed people are expected to understand.
       Many of our young people, and some older ones, too, are not
familiar with their own religion nor with the beautiful and striking
doctrines of the gospel with which it           is   so laden.    This class de-
vote more, time to reading useless or sensational books than they
do to the study and contemplation of works that would familiarize
them with the        principles    of the gospel.         If   they were better
informed    in   this   line,   and understood the saving doctrines and
everyday questions of their religion,                more than they do, they
would not be trapped by false teachings, false leaders, and advo-
cates of cults that are false. They would not be misled as some
of them are.
       An incident comes to my mind.            It is that of a lady who    had
for many years belonged to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-
day Saints,      and who was visited       in   her home by an advocate of
Christian Science.        This advocate of Christian Science understood
her business perfectly, and taught the doctrines of that cult with
much suavity and earnestness.   Strange to say, this good sister,
who had belonged to the Church for many years, exclaimed upon
hearing of their doctrine of healing that it was the very thing she
had been looking for for years.          And this in face of the fact that
our literature as well as the teachings of the elders are full of in-
cidents of healing by the power of God through faith.
     The fact is that every principle of healing, every principle of
the power of the Holy Ghost, and of God, which have been mani-
fested to the Saints in all ages, have been bestowed upon the
Latter-day Saints.    There is no principle, there is no blessing,
there is no advantage, there is no truth in any other religious so-
ciety or organization, which are not included in the gospel of Jesus
Christ as taught by Joseph Smith, the Prophet, and after him by