--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Associations, Young Men’s Mutual Improvement collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 13 number: 2 published: 1909-12 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations, "The Gospel in Art," *Improvement Era* 13, no. 2 (December 1909): 176–177.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1302unse 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: improvementera1302unse start_page: 176 end_page: 177 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1909-12) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1302unse 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. --- # The Gospel in Art 176 IMPROVEMENT ERA. anism, no matter what it is, but that all these things are honorable, and are necessary for the welfare of man and for the building up of the commonwealth." President John R. Winder. Perhaps no man in the Church represents more clearly the follies of Dr. Ostler's alleged generalizations in regard to activity and initiative in old age than the man who stands second in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — President John R. Winder, whose portrait is presented in this issue of the Era. Much of his work in this Church that will live longest has been done since he reached his three-score years and ten. He is eighty- eight years of age on the 11th of this month, and is as active, busy and vigorous in mind and body today as if thirty years were taken frcm this reckoning. He reads all the Church correspond- ence, and has missed only one day in attendance at his labors in the Temple in sixteen years; he counsels and assists in the presiding labors of the Church with great vivacity; vigorously walks his mile each day, sleeps quietly, speaks quickly, thinks rapidly and well, and is the trusted friend and associate of President Joseph F. Smith, and his fellow-counselor, President Anthon H. Lund. A life as fruitful of good works as his, is also full of useful lessons,and becomes an interesting study for the young people of Zion. The Era will later contain a sketch of his life and labors, with a number of illustrations in and about his birthplace in Eng- land. We are certain that such a sketch will be of great inter- est to our readers. The Gospel in Art. Just as rich in thought as an Emerson essay are these words of John Hafen,the artist, now at Indianapolis, Indiana. They are culled from a letter to a friend in Salt Lake City, who has kindly per- mitted the Improvement Era to print them: EDITOR'S TABLE. 177 "It is not likely that I ever will produce as much work in any- given time as I have heretofore. When we grow somewhat old in experience, we are not as easily satisfied. We have ideals which are well-nigh impossible of attainment. But we must try, to our utmost. Even our ideals are according to our capacity, that is, they are higher and more difficult of attainment in the more matured and experienced time of life than in the earliest days of our student career. "Since associating with the painters of the world, and being able to see the works of important painters from time to time, I have had especial reasons to be grateful that my lot has been cast amongst the Latter-day Saints, so that I have been drawn in the way of receiving the great help of the gospel, in my studies in art. In my previous visits to the world, I was not so advanced, and was therefore overawed by the higher attainments of my fel- low professionals, and knew not where I was going, nor when I would get there. Now that my hairs have turned white with time and a diligent, long, hard fight for what there is good in my grand profession, I can take a glance over the field of the world's accom- plishment, at least from a high eminence, and can see better now than ever before what the Lord has and is doing for me, in reward for my trust and faith in him. Not only can I comprehend the works of other men, but also my own, better than I ever could before. And I will say this, with an absolute surety, that much depends upon character in obtaining excellence in art. Paint- ers of the world using tobacco and strong drink, and indulging in immoral practices, and leading any sort of a haphazzard kind of life, can no more produce an art that will live than we can make water run up hill. I will allow that once or twice in a century men or women are born who are abnormally gifted aud blessed with such mental and physical powers that those destructive agencies have not power to down them, even if they do practice them, which has been the case in some rare instances. But the fact has no bear- ing on the common run of human beings who are born into this world. "Good art is also much dependent on truth. A man or woman who has wrong ideas of his or her individuality, of religion, of God, and of duty, cannot become a [great artist, be they ever