--- 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, Calvin S. collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 15 number: 5 published: 1912-03 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'Smith, Calvin S., "Get Busy," *Improvement Era* 15, no. 5 (March 1912): 471.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1505unse 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: improvementera1505unse start_page: 471 end_page: 471 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1912-03) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1505unse 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. --- # Get Busy Get Busy. The elder who wrote this message is a son of President Joseph F. Smith. He sent it to his brother, James, and in his short epistle, dated Hannover, Germany, January 12, 1912, touches several chords of human interest: Dear Brother James: I received your letter and the enclosed money, all right, and I was thankful that you wrote. I've got your dollar in my pocket immer noch. I hate to break it. Brother Clive and Sister Campbell also sent one apiece. Who milks the cow now? Don't let the music slip. When you get over here, and have to be the organist, the choir leader, and the soloist, you will appreciate a little training. It's surprising how many fellows can't play, but would like to! Nearly all the missionaries I have worked with have had opportunities to learn, and every one of them kicks himself, and would give a finger to have the same chance again. Get Royal interested, there's nothing like starting young. You can't imagine how fine it sounded when Clifford Clive played the organ. It makes a fellow wish he could do so, too, and the only reason he can't is because he hasn't enough interest to work like Clifford Clive does. There is no royal road to geometry, and no royal road to music, and no royal road to anything that's worth while. We measure the value of things by the work we put into them, or to get them. Nothing is worth while that doesn't cost time, blood, sweat, intense interest, patience and fixed purpose. What do you want? Is it hard to get? Then begin to work now. Tomorrow is always tomorrow, but make haste now and do it well. Your brother, Calvin S. Smtth.