--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 14 number: 8 published: 1911-06 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations, "A Kind Word from a Friend—A Prosperous Community," *Improvement Era* 14, no. 8 (June 1911): 738–739.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1408unse 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: improvementera1408unse start_page: 738 end_page: 739 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1911-06) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1408unse publication_year: 1911 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 1911, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- A Kind Word From a Friend. Men who do not know, are often in the habit of saying many derogatory things about the Latter-day Saints. It is therefore refreshing and pleasant to receive words of encouragement and truth as in the letter which follows from one who does know, EDITOR'S TABLE. 739 and who is not afraid to tell. The kind expressions of Mr. Elton reveal him to be a broad-minded man, willing for fair play and desirous to stand firmly for the truth. His letter explains itself: President Joseph F. Smith: Sir—In a New York newspaper today I read an excerpt from your sermon on opening the 81st annual conference of the "Mormon" Church, relative to marriage laws. Also I read some remarks recently made in London, England, by the Reverend Father Vaughan, a well-known Jesuit priest. I am an Englishman, for thirty years a resident of the United States, and have paid quite a few visits to Salt Lake City, which have been of the most agreeable character; and have had amongst my friends several members of your Church; and also, I have an abiding admiration forBrigham Young and his life-work. Though I am not a "Mormon," nor indeed an adherent to the dogmas of any religion whatsoever, at the same time I am deeply religious, as all men of open mind and clear vision must be. As an Englishman, I take the liberty to write to you to say that I vehemently protest against the scandalous remarks made by this Jesuit, Father Vaughan, as every Englishman who knows anything of the "Mormon" creed and "Mormon" home life and work would also do. Little, I imagine, is known in England on this subject, and more is the pity. I intend to write to several London newspapers against the false and outrageous statements made by this Jesuit priest. The language he uses stamps him as a fanatic of the venomous kind, and positively unfit to be a teacher in any church. It were well for him if he tried to gather unto himself a little decency, humanity, and knowledge of what he is now ignorant of, from the "Mormon" Church. I am, sir, respectfully, E. Elton. 1E5 Ocean Park Way, Brooklyn, Nkyv York, April 23, ign.