---
title: Improvement Era
description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930.
authors:
  - Gates, Susa Young
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: 'Gates, Susa Young, "To a Missionary," *Improvement Era* 15, no. 5 (March 1912): 445.'
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: 445
end_page: 445
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.
---

# To a Missionary

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To a Missionary Gird on your armor of the Christ, Thus armored and panoplied now,
 my lad, my lad,
And fasten it with three things You are almost ready to go.
The heart of the boy, the faith of Yet pause, I pray, and let me say a man, Some things you ought to know.
And prayer on rising wings.

You'll need the courage of a boy, You are going to teach, not be my lad, taught,
When the scornful world goes In the things of God or of man.
 wrong. Men's ways go wrong, but God is For boys forget the foes they've strong,
 met, And he's laid a Gospel Plan.
And they conquer life with a song.

The faith of a man is a beautiful That Plan will redeem the wide,
 thing, wide world It lightens the gloomiest way. If you will but do your share.

You must hold it tight, that its With a boy's brave soul, and your lovely light iaith. kept whole Shall shine on your darkest day. On the rising wings of prayer.

But courage and faith are only a p ar t So take with you now a dauntless Of the armor you must always heart,
 wear And the faith to do and dare For the rivets that hold, and the The hope of your friends, the hinges that fold, grace God sends,
Are a constant, faithful prayer. And your parents' tender prayer.
 Susa Young Gates.