--- 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., and Counselors collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 15 number: 3 published: 1912-01 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'Smith, Joseph F., and Counselors, "Endorsement of Instructions," *Improvement Era* 15, no. 3 (January 1912): 278–279.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1503unse 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: improvementera1503unse start_page: 278 end_page: 279 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1912-01) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1503unse publication_year: 1912 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 1912, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # Endorsement of Instructions 278 improvement era The Courtesies in the Case— Avoidance of Friction. Much of the friction between Seventies' quorums and local ward and Church authorities might be removed, if proper courtesy was observed at the time our Seventies are called upon Lo accept service in other departments than their quorums. That courtesy would suggest that the council of the respective quorums should be consulted with the view of obtaining their consent and approval of the appointment, and thus be given an opportunity to present reasons why the appointment should not be made, if any exist, or the chance of suggesting what might be a better arrangement than the one proposed, if that were possible. Courtesy in the case, however, is a matter that Seventies may not control in others, beyond making it understood that they know what courtesy is due in the premises ; but if not accorded, they will be under the necessity of bearing it with such Christian patience as they may summon to their aid. Meantime, however, they can instruct their own members that when they are called upon for service which interferes with their quorum appointments, they can ask the privilege of presenting it to the council of their quorum, that they may, in the first place, show proper respect to those who immediately preside over them in the Priesthood ; and, in the second place, go with their approval and good will. Moreover, in the case of the special appointments of the quorums' annual meetings in November, and in the regular monthly meetings of the quorums, arrangements could doubtless be made by which all the members engaged in other service could be excused, in order to attend them. Summary of the Matter. But to return to the general principles here sought to be set forth Let it be held in mind that Seventies exist primarily : for service in the Church, especially for service in the missions ouside the stakes of Zion; but, in the last analysis of the whole matter, for service wherever the Church needs and calls for that service; and it is in the amount and quality of the service that the respective quorums are able to give the Church that their success consists, even as quorums, rather than in large percentages of attendance in quorum and class meetings. The matter of percentage of such attendance can well be subordinated to an account EDITOR'S TABLE 279 of the amount and kind of work being done by the Seventies in the respective quorums, a full and careful record of which should be kept and reported annually, both to the respective quorums and to the First Council. i\nd let pride, so far as~ pride may be a proper element in the matter at all, amount and center in the quality of the service rendered by the respective quorums to the Church, whether at home or abroad. Seymour B. Young, Brigham H. Roberts, Jonathan G. Kimball, Rulon S. Wells, Joseph W. McMurrin, Charles H. Hart, Levi Edgar Young, First Council of Seventies. Endorsement of the First Presidency. We endorse the foregoing letter of instructions to the Seventies, issued by the First Council ;and we request the local authorities in the respective stakes and wards of the Church to so arrange their requirements of the Seventies for home service work, as mentioned in the letter, that their duties to their quorums will not be unnecessarily impaired. Joseph F. Smith, Anthon H. Lund, Charles W. Penrose, First Presidency of the Church.