--- 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: 15 number: 1 published: 1911-11 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'Smith, Joseph F., "Editor’s Table: John Henry Smith," *Improvement Era* 15, no. 1 (November 1911): 77.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1501unse 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: improvementera1501unse start_page: 77 end_page: 77 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1911-11) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1501unse 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. --- # Editor’s Table: John Henry Smith Editor's Table John Henry Smith To the passing of John Henry Smith, pioneer, faithful Church- man, loyal citizen, and big-hearted friend, applies with force the biblical expression: "There is a prince and a great man fallen this day in Israel." From the day of his birth, when his people were migrating through force of circumstance to the unbroken valleys of the mountains, to the end of his days, he was a cheerful pioneer and builder. His life was free and open as the plains, his character as staunch as the everlasting hills. In his constant labors for the Church, and in his untiring efforts for the establishment of the gospel of Jesus Christ, through the organizations of the Church, and in the clean, sweet life he lived, he daily and diligently added to his faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. And so he grew and was fruitful in the cause of God upon the earth, and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ whose devoted servant he was — a valiant chieftain, a zealous, noble worker for the Cross. He was pre-eminently a lover of mankind, and with cheer and energy devoted his strength to their uplifting, and to the amelioration of the race — for that is the primary purpose of the Church of Christ, in which he was a faithful member and a beloved leader. Through his father, George Albert Smith, and a long line of patriot kinsmen, he inherited a strong love of country, which made him a loyal and upright citizen. He was the embodiment of those great, noble and broad-minded principles that teach men to freely tolerate the views of others, giving to them the right of freedom of conscience, and interfering with no man's religious views or worship; — principles that make men willing to grant liberty gen- erously to all. John Henry loved the constitution and laws of his country, and was loyal to the core. He taught respect for our flag and institutions, and honored our nation's heroes and statesmen. He glorified the dead, and prayed for the living.