Duty

Duty. BY PROF. J. C. HOGENSON, M. S. A., PROFESSOR OF AGRONOMY, STATE AGKICULTURAL COLLEGE. In the autumn of 1805, off the coast of Spain, occurred one of the greatest naval battles the world has ever known. It was one of the decisive battles of the world, a battle between the English fleet under Lord Nelson, and the combined fleets of Prance and Spain. The English fleet was the smaller, having fewer vessels, guns and men, than the combined fleet. Yet Nelson had been waiting for months to get this chance at the enemy, and he knew that his hour had come. As the ships were making hurried preparations for battle, he caused this signal to be displayed from the mast-tops of his ship,so that every English sailor might see it, "England expects every man to do his duty." It was an inspiration that caused every man to do his utmost for his country. The victory was won because every man did do his duty. Had one man failed in performing his duty, the battle of Travalgar would have sounded the downfall of the English navy, and to this day she would not have been able to regain her power. God expects us to do our duty, not one duty here and there that suits us, but every duty which he has placed before us and that comes to our lot to perform, be it pleasant or otherwise. "Duty!" Oh, that word! It means so much. It is impossible to comprehend its full meaning at a glance, as the duties of each individual differ. We have our duties to ourselves, our duties to our family, our duties to our fellowmen, our duties to our profession, and our duties to our God. Among the duties to ourselves may be mentioned the keeping of our body in health, by eating proper food, properly breath-

878 IMPROVEMENT ERA. ing fresh air, avoiding stimulants of any kind, not overdoing in any way, improving our minds. The education of today strives for two great qualifications, and the world today is demanding two great characteristics of the people who succeed, and they are— usefulness and efficiency- Be good for something, and then be able to do that something better than anybody else. We should always strive to know the "why" for doing things, for this teaches "how" and "when." Education today strives for the development of manhood and womanhood, and the preparation for life's duties. These are the things we must aim at if we will do our full duty to ourselves. Our duties to our family consist not only of loving and providing food, clothing and shelter, but also of rearing our children in the fear of God, and of teaching them the gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Our duties to our fellowmen may be summed up by saying that we interfere with no man's rights, that we love one another, helping the poor and needy, and having charity for all. The Scriptures speak of our duties to our fellowmen in these beautiful words: Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily pro7oked, thinketh no evil; And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity. Our duties to our profession require that we become thoroughly familiar with our work, learn our work well, and it will become a pleasure to us. Happiness always comes from a realization of having done our duties well; unhappiness comes from the neglect of duties,and,as "Man is that he might have joy," this will

DUTY. 879 come to us only through the well performance of our duties. There is always joy in our work when it is understood. Take one example: Is there joy in the work of the farmer? Truly, if there is joy in any profession, his should be the most joyful. He comes in contact with nature ; he hears the birds sing their sweet songs; he hears the babbling water as it dances in the stony brook; he wanders amid the waving grass and grain, and rests in the shade of the stalwart trees; he breathes the fresh air laden with the sweet perfume of the rose and the violet; he turns the sod that sets in motion the great chemical laboratory of the soil, admitting air and moisture; by this act also he sets to work the thousands and millions of little helpers in the soil that make it possible for the plants to grow there; he plants the seeds and watches their development to maturity. Truly he is a man of nature, and learning nature's ways, he can say with Shakespeare: There are Tongues in trees, Books in the running brooks, Sermons in stones, And good in everything. And with Bryant: To him who in the love of nature holds Communion with her visible forms, she Speaks a various language; for his gayer hours She has a voice of gladness, and a smile and eloquence Of beauty, and she glides into his darker musings With a mild and healing sympathy that Steals away their sharpness, ere he is aware. Our duties to our God consist of keeping his commandments. A Pharisee lawyer at one time asked Jesus, "vVhat is the great commandment in the law?" Jesus said unto him, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." Do we love the Lord? Do we keep his commandments? Again, after the resurrection of Jesu?, when he had dined with his disciples, he said to Simon Peter,

880 IMPROVEMENT ERA. Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep. He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep. Christ here meant the feeding of the bread of life, the teaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Those of us who have the privilege of laboring in the Primary association, in the Religion classes, in the Sunday schools and in the Mutual Improvement associations, have the greatest privilege and duty placed upon us of teaching these glorious truths to the children of men, the young people who are placed under our charge. Shall we shrink from this duty, or shall we make the performance of it a pleasure? What greater pleasure can there be than to instil into the young and tender minds of the children the precious truths of the everlasting gospel? The cause of Christ was never popular. The people who have aimed to follow the teachings of our Lord have always been persecuted and hunted from pillar to post. When Joseph Smith announced to the world that none of the then existing churches upon the earth were right, and that through him the Lord would re-establish his Church, people immediately began to persecute him and his followers. This persecution has extended down to the present day. The gospel of Jesus Christ is a simple, straightforward gospel. It does not have the pomp and ceremony in it that many of the man-made religions have. This simplicity has never suited a certain element of the human family who wish to show and proclaim publicly before men their own virtues and deeds. After the ascension of Jesus Christ the apostles and disciples continued to preach the true gospel and cry repentance to the people. For this they were driven from city to city, until finally all were put to death. The early Christian people in the Roman

DUTY. 881 empire were persecuted and tried as perhaps no other people have ever been. Many were tied to posts, saturated with oil and served for torches to the barbarous people. Many were helplessly placed in the large arenas, and lions, tigers and other ferocious beasts turned loose upon them in the sight of thousands of people who gloried in seeing them being torn to pieces. Many lived in seclusion in the underground passageways where the dead were buried —the catacombs of Rome. No one, man, woman or child, who professed the Christ was safe. Yet through all this, the great majority remained true and steadfast, and gained the victory through the Sign of the Cross. During the reign of the Emperor Constantine, while he was at war with some of the barbarous tribes, and when it appeared that his enemies were to be the victors, he claims that he saw a fiery cross in the heavens with these words inscribed upon it: "With this sign you shall conquer." He interpreted this to mean that he must espouse the cause of the Christians. So the entire empire became Christian, thousands upon thousands being baptized by force. The so-called Christian church now became popular, but not while it contained its simple, Christ-like ordinances and principles. In order to popularize it, many pagan rites and doctrines were substituted and added, so that it might more nearly harmonize with the old pagan worship. Many of the ordinances and doctrines in the pure Christian Church were done away with, so that it really became a corrupted and foreign mode of worship. The simple Christ Church was gone, and in its stead arose the Church of Rome dominated by greed, pomp, power and licentiousness. Thank God the gospel has been restored in its purity and simplicity! With the sign of Christ ever before us we shall conquer. By living up to Christ's teachings and obeying the commandments which he has given to his children, no matter where we are, or what temptations befall us, we shall always be found on the side of victory. Let us ever keep his cause burning in our hearts and his sign ever before us to guide us by day and by night. Above one of the gates leading to the grounds of one of our great Eastern universities is found this inscription: