--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Woodruff, J. Lloyd collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 14 number: 10 published: 1911-08 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'J. Lloyd Woodruff, "A Suggestion," *Improvement Era* 14, no. 10 (August 1911): 894–899.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera14010unse 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: improvementera14010unse start_page: 894 end_page: 899 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1911-08) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera14010unse 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 Suggestion A Suggestion. BY DR. J. LLOYD WOODRUFF. The Twenty Fourth of July, 1847, was both a consummation and a beginning. It was the consummation of the first chapter written by God in the book of the latter-day world. It was the consummation of the blood shed, and fierce persecution that had aimed at the very existence of the kingdom of God. It was the consummation of the pillage, driving and desecration of the innocent which had sered the souls of the brave men and noble women who stood as pillars of heaven during that first dark yet glorious time; truly there were giants in those days. It was the consummation of Kirtland, Haun's mill, Carthage, Jackson county, and Nauvoo. It was the beginning of the true power, 'unity and saving influence of the last dispensation. It was the beginning of the sifting which God had foretold should garner the wheat into his storehouse the children of the kingdom into his fold. Heretofore they had lived in tents, as it were, never secure an hour from the ruthless hand of hatred, forced to fly naked into the cold, barren inhospitality of the winter nights to escape the gieed and lust of their devil-ridden persecutors. It was the beginning of the peaceful heritage which had been promised the Saints when Zion should be built in the tops of the mountains, as li ret Id by holy men of old, who looked down the long vista of the ages and beheld with wondering eyes the power of the Lord made manifest in the last days. It was the beginning of the greatest exodus the world has ever witnessed, the journey of the children of Israel paling into insignifican?e when compared with it. It was the foundation of a A SUGGESTION. 895 new empire in the western world, which would challenge all history to produce its like. It was the beginning of an industrial, moral, educational and religious growth such as even America, where great undertakings and accomplishments are commonplace because of their frequency, had never dreamed of, much less seen. It was the beginning of irrigation and dry-land farming in modern times, two factors which will in the final accounting do more to save America from herself than any other of the mighty forces now at work in the making. It was all this and more; for when Brigham Young planted his cane in the earth and voiced the historic words, "Here we will build an house unto the L jrd our God," he fulfiled prophecy, he uttered prophecy: and God, who had directed from the first, spoke through the man, and no word of his mouth can fall to the ground unfulfiled. The Twenty-Fourth of July, 1847, encompassed all that had gone before, since the days when Adam offered his first sacrifice, and shed a glory on all time to come, even until the hosts of heaven shall descend heralding Christ as King. It had not been in vain that stalwart men and brave women had faced death, and worse than death, in its most terrible forms. It was not in vain that they had been driven, robbed, ravished-- these were but the stern school-masters of destiny that were fitting them for the pinnacles of faith up which they must climb before they were ready to bid farewell to life and hope and plunge through an unknown journey of a thousand miles into nothingness. God spoke and said, "I will do a marvelous work and a wonder, for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid." Can we not sense the fulfilment of these words when we reflect upon the Twenty Fourth of July, 1847? God had in very truth performed a marvelous work and a wonder. Was it not a wondrous thing, this journey through the trackless wastes? Was it not a marvel of faith and energy, and power of soul over body and matter? Consider for a moment the worn and weary bands tramping miles through the prostrating heat of summer; leaving a bloodstained trail behind them on the frozen plains of winter; urging on their half-starved cattle to some hoped-for watering place for night; or dragging their all in hand-carts, themselves the beasts of 896 IMPROVEMENT ERA. burden. Paint the picture vividly, bring it very near home, see tham after such a day of soul-trying toil and privation, sitting down to their meager supper with the howl of the wild wolf echoing near, and the knowledge of "stealthy, treacherous red skins hovering round. And as you grasp the full significance of it, think of their courage, recall their faith, listen to their voices, tired but full of hope, singing, Come, come, ye Saints, no toil nor labor fear, But with joy wend your way; Though hard to you this journey may appear, Grace shall be as your day. 'Tis better far for us to strive, Our useless cares from us to drive. Do this and joy your hearts will swell — All is well, all is well! Why should we mourn, or think our lot is hard? 'Tis not so; all is right! Why should we think to earn a great reward, If we now shun the fight? Gird up your loins, fresh courage take, Our God will never us forsake; And soon we'll have this tale to tell— All is well, all is well!" And then answer, was it not a marvelous, a wondrous thing? Has not the wisdom of wise men perished? Recall the historical words of Daniel Webster, the then wisest man of all, in regard to the West. Think of the wisdom of many other wise men who saw in the suicidal exodus the end of the vexing question of "Mormonism." Ponder the offer of Bridger of a thousand dollars for the first ear of corn raised on the great American desert. Was he not a prudent man, knowing the unknowable land of mystery better at that time than any other white man, understanding the true conditions in all their rude savagery? Where was his prudence,of what avail his knowledge, gained by hard experience, when they conflicted with the purposes of God? Consider well all these truly marvelous things and then answer, does not July 24, 1847, fulfil prophecy? Is it not worthy to take an honored place with the other epoch-making days of the world? A SUGGESTION. 897 And we, the children of "Mormondom," the young men and women who owe our very being in these glorious peak-begirthed vales of Utah to July 24, shall we forget it, or them who made it possible? We who feast, while they starved; we who are surrounded by every comfort aid luxury given to us as an heritage of their unceasing toil and privation. We with unlimited possibilities for education, while they who hungered and thirsted after knowledge, even as after righteousness, were forced to endure the cravings of the soul for books, music, art, education, that we, their posterity, might not be deprived in like manner. Shall we forget their trials and their triumphs, their noble lives, their strong, bright example, their steadfast honesty, brave unto any death, yet fearful of the least transgression? God forbid that we so dishonor ourselves! It is with this thought that I write, a thought which I wish to place before the youths and maidens of Zion, particularly the Mutual Improvement workers, for I feel that the task is ours, that it is a sacred privilege, a solemn duty which we should undertake with thankful enthusiasm. The thought is this, that the Mutual Improvement workers of the Church of Jesus Christ in all the world start a fund, which shall be placed in the hands of a suitable committee of men and women, also Mutual Improvement workers, who are accustomed to handle large affairs, and that it be constantly added to until one million dollars is raised, and that this money be used to erect a hall of relics as a monument to the pioneers of Utah. Does the undertaking look large? Wait a moment: there are in the neighborhood of sixty-six thousand Mutual Improvement workers. Let a night be set apart each year during the season of work, call it Pioneer night, or any other appropriate name, let some able member give a lecture on the work of the pioneers, and let a collection be taken from each member, anything from twenty-five cents up, according to circumstances. The first year something between fifteen and twenty thousand dollars «vill be raised. Put this out in good securities,and add to it each year the annual collection. In twenty or twenty-five years the million dollars will be a realized fact, not that twenty-five times twenty is a million, by any means; but as the years go by, the annual amount 898 IMPROVEMENT ERA. collected will increase and there will be the interest to add to the principal. I understand how difficult it is to raise large sums of money, but the objQct here in view will be a popular one, and if the project is started off right there is no reason why failure should follow, and every reason why it should be crowned with success. A record should be kept of the names of all those who contribute to the fund, and when the work is completed, these should be printed in alphabetical order and bound in one large volume, that the names of the builders be not lost. The amount subscribed, however, should rot be included in this record, as the ten cents of the poor boy is as acceptable as the larger amounts of the rich, and this record is to impress on succeeding generations the willingness of those engaged, not their financial standing. As to the site, there is only one appropriate place for such a building—the Old Fort square. True, at present this is a public park, and may soon be used for other purposes, but no doubt permission can be obtained to erect such a building on it, which will be always freely open to the public. The building itself should be one of the masterpieces of architecture of the world, embodying and expressing the spirit of the West in its design. It need not be exceptionally large, but should be big enough to be imposing, and should provide for a public art gallery in addition to the hall for old relics, with this in view when it is designed. It should stand in the center of the Old Fort, with stately colonnades stretching out on the north, south, east and west. There should be four heroic groups in bronze or marble. The one on the north representing love of country and loyalty to the Stars and Stripes; the one on the west representing the pioneers with their faces turned to the land of the setting sun; the one on the south representing the primitive owners of the soil which we now call ours; the one on the east representing the children of "Mormondom," with their faces turned to the morning, typifying our faith in the return to Jackson county. And around the whole building without, in bas-relief, the history of the journey across the plains and the early reclamation of the desert should be pictured in life-size bronze figures. Everything should be on a scale befitting those whom we delight to honor, and should A SUGGESTION. 899 give to the world an adequate idea of what the settlement of the great inland country really meant. The figure has been placed at one million dollar.?; this may not be sufficient, but by postponing the commencement for a few years the necessary amount could be easily raised. There need be no particular hurry, the thing to consider is perfection as near as possible, if a commencement be made. While on'y the Mutual Improvement workers have been mentioned, under whose direction such an undertaking rightly belongs, no child or adult should be debarred from aiding. In years to come, it will be a monument to their love and loyalty, as much as it is to the faith and courage of the pioneers. Therefore the nickels and dimes of the Primary and Sunday school, and the larger donations of well- ,o-do men and women, through this and neighboring states, will swell the honor fund, and the Hall of Relics be thus earlier assured. The care and maintenance have also to be considered; but once let this idea take form and become a reality, and those who have been instrumental in its accomplishment will see to it that proper care is bestowed. Leaving the monument phase out of the question, there should be some safe and public resting place for the many priceless relics of those early days. To be sure, thero is a society which looks after this, and its col'ection is well taken care of; but still, in the best sense of the word, there is no real home for them. At present there are many scattered thro-ugh this and adjoining states, passing from hand to hand, from house to hcuse. Some are lost, some destroyed by fire, others broken. In a few years they will be very, very scarce, and the children of another generation will know only by hearsay of all their fathers endured. On the other hand, a public art gallery is a crying need; at present there is no public place where art and sculpture can find a fitting home; where heart and head can be delighted and educated by an hour spent among the masters,or copies of their works, not to speak of the notable achievements of our own western artists and sculptors. In time some wealthy man may build and endow an art gallery, but how much prouder can the children of Utah be when they point to one of the beautiful monuments of the world and say, "I helped to build that."