The Annual M. I. A. Conference

The Annual M. I. A. Conference The general opinion of those who attended the sessions of the June M. I. A. Conference this year was that it was the best and most practical conference yet held in the history of the Mutual Improvement organizations. The program of the first session practically illustrated in part to what use the open nights may be put. The morning conjoint session on Sunday included a suggestive preliminary program. The paper on "The Purpose and Method of Preliminary Programs" and the stories given, will appear in the next issue of the Era as a sample for the organizations. The afternoon meeting pointed out three lines of study that compose the field of each of the organizations— the physical, the intellectual and the spiritual— and while in the order named, the spiritual comes last, it should be understood by our workers that the spiritual, first, last, and all the time, is a topic for study and consideration. President Joseph F. Smith, in relating his experiences in leaving Nauvoo and crossing the plains, gave utterance to incidents in his life which were of a kind to inspire the young people with the faith of their fathers. Throughout the whole convention the spirit of the exercises appeared to be that there is not only a necessity but a demand for the Mutual Improvement organizations, and that, in the Church there is a safe and useful place for them. At the evening meeting this was further emphasized by the telling remarks of Elder Heber J. Grant, and by the short addresses given by members of the Board defining the place of the M. I. A. in the Church.

846 IMPROVEMENT ERA. In the officers' meetings on Friday and Saturday there were living enthusiasm and practical notes in every speech. The talks by the representatives from various stakes on articles in the current volume of the Era in which they were most interested, and why, were encouraging, and demonstrated the good the Era is accomplishing and the esteem in which it is held by the reading community. The talks by representatives from some of the stakes on the reading course shows that while we have made only modest progress in this line, still there is an awakening in the matter of reading good literature that is definitely encouraging. Dr. George H.BrimhaH's speech on the Manual gave publicity to a new departure in manual work. This season there will be only one manual for the two classes, the subject matter being of such a character as to be adapted to both the junior and the senior members. The manual will be of a very interesting sociological character and so general in its instructions that it will be adapted to the men and the youth in every stake of Zion. Dr. John A. Widtsoe's paper on debating was a revelation of what has been accomplished and what is yet to be done in the associations in this division of work. The representatives who treated "The Fund and How to Colr lect It," gave some practical pointers which were still more emphasized by the remarks of Elder B. H. Roberts in regard to the necessity of honesty in handling trust money relating to both the Era and the M. I. A. Fund. The talk by Elder Lyman R. Martineau on "Some Problems in Athletics," and by Elder Eugene Roberts on "What to Play and How to Play It," awakened deep interest in this phase of our work. The speech and demonstration of Elder Oscar A. Kirkham on "Music and Drama" filled the officers with enthusiasm, particularly with reference to the singing of hymns and music in the organizations, and the need of the use of good dance music which he declared was a successful remedy for bad dances. The employment and development of the many rather than the display of the few, should be the watchword in our singing and musical exercises, and this, too, should be the slogan in athletics and other M, I. A. activities,