--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 16 number: 4 published: 1913-02 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations, "Mutual Work," *Improvement Era* 16, no. 4 (February 1913): 390–394.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1604unse 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: improvementera1604unse start_page: 390 end_page: 394 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1913-02) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1604unse publication_year: 1913 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 1913, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # Mutual Work 388 IMPROVEMENT ERA qualifications to preach the gospel to the refined and educated people of the world — may the youth of Zion prepare themselves for the ministry, for there is a need and a place for all. Elder J. Harvey Langford, secretary of the California mission, writes from Los Angeles, Cal., November 5: "The people of California are becoming acquainted with us and the message we have for them. Many honest and liberal citizens are watching the progress of our work or are investigating the restored gospel. During the past nine months an average of thirty-five elders has labored in the mission. The report for this period shows that 104,067 tracts, 277 standard Church works, and 1,351 small books have been distributed, 31,442 families of strangers were visited, 410 open-air meetings and 210 cottage meetings were held and 54 baptisms performed. The elders of the Los Angeles Conference are: Back row from left: H. C. Jolley, Glendale; A. B. Christensen, David Richfield; Smith, Fillmore, Utah P. P. Skriver, Aetna, Alberta, Canada. ; Second row: V. Clyde Cummings Salt Lake City; Adelbert Holladay, Eden, ' Ariz.; D. Henry Manning, Garland, Utah; T. Le Roy Pickett, Clawson, Idaho; Walter A. Knudsen, Provo; D. W. Chugg, Providence; Martin J. Moody, Hinkley. Front: Clarence Cummings, conference clerk, Salt Lake City; Jos. P. Payne, conference president, Clearfield; Jos E. Robinson, mission president; J. Harvey Langford, mission secretary, San Jose, Mexico; Edward L. Simpson, Kamas, Utah." Priesthood Quorums Table Elder George Barton Taylor, son of Joseph J. Taylor and Malinda Barton, born Sept. 19, 1885, at Manti, Utah, died Nov. 14, 1912, at Denver, Colo. Elder Taylor left his home for the mission field Dec. 15, 1911, and labored in Trinidad, Colorado Springs, and a short time in Pueblo, where he was taken sick with typhoid fever. He leaves his wife, Mary Mabel Anderson Taylor, and one child, Bessie, aged one year, eight months, who reside at Manti; his mother, three broth- ers, and four sisters, who reside at Ma- grath, Canada. He died in the harness of the priesthood, doing faithful work. Men Who Remember Seeing the Prophet Joseph. — At a meeting of the High Priests' quorum of the Granite Stake of Zion, Dec. 15, the program consisted of short talks by members who had personally known the Prophet Joseph Smith. The following brethren responded: George Wilding, Hunter, who when he was eleven years old, had first seen the Prophet, and had later worked for him two years; Jacob Peart, who, at the age of nine, saw him while speaking in Nauvoo; W. W. Moesser, Hunter ward, who, at nine years of age, and at his mother's home, remembered sitting upon the knees of the Prophet; Henry Home, Farmers ward, who, at the age of nine, at his father's home, remembered sitting upon the Prophet's knee; Lewis A. Huffaker, Forest Dale, who, when five years old, remembered the trouble in Nauvoo, and having seen the Prophet about that time. He remembered having been kept in the house while a fight was going on, and that a cannon ball took away part of the picket fence; Joseph A. Fisher, Forest Dale, who, at the age of three, so his mother told him, had been held by the Prophet in his arms, and can just remember having heard him preach; Stephen W. Taylor, Waterloo, who, at the age of five, remembered the Prophet as he saw him riding a horse at a soldiers' drill; Edward Morgan, Mill Creek, who, at the age of five, remembered seeing the Prophet dead, and the people weeping and crying over the loss of their leader; also Edward Webb. South Cottonwood. Belonging to the same quorum was Job Smith of Suear ward, who was confined to his bed with sickness and who has since passed to his reward. He was sixteen years of age when he first saw the Prophet. The meeting was very entertaining to the younger members. Besides the information which was given concerning the Prophet, some very strong testimonies of the divinity of his mission were given by the brethren who spoke. Mutual Work A Slogan for Larger Membership To Stake and Ward Officers Y. M. M. I. A., Dear Brethren: Ask yourselves this question: have you as many members in your Y. M. M. I. A. as you ought to have? It has been learned by the General Board from reports received on Stake Work that a large number of the associations throughout the Church have appointed no membership or missionary committees. Little, if any, missionary work in consequence has been done to increase the attendance and membership of the associations. This condition is unfortunate. The General Board have instructed this committee to call your attention to the need of having a membership committee in each association, and that there is great need for the committees doing active work towards increasing the attendance in the associations. Mutual work is two fold. The object of obtaining membership is, first, to get the boy into the association; and, second, to so interest him that he may stay there. To keep the boy in the association our organization has provided, first, preliminary programs; second, class study; third, social work; fourth, joint sessions, once each month with the young ladies; fifth, open night programs jointly with the young ladies; sixth, athletic and M. I. A. Scout work; seventh, an M. I. A. Day at the close of the season. What are your associations doing in these activities? We think there is variety enough under these seven headings to make our organization the most interesting in the Church for the young men. By organizing membership committees and putting them to work, the boy may be enrolled in the Mutual so that he may take advantage of these specific activities provided in your Y. M. M. I. A. The first step necessary is to appoint a lively membership committee in each stake, then in each ward association. These committees may consist of one, two, or three men who are specially fitted and qualified by experience to do the necessary work among the young men. The officers of the stake should fix their responsibilities, and define their duties. The committees should then be set to work, and their work should be checked up at zveekly meetings, by the stake and association officers. Specific reports should be made of their labors and of the conditions which they meet. The work should be done with system and in earnestness. First, all eligible members in the ward above 14 years of age should be MUTUAL WORK 391 solicited,and listed by the committee, on their promising to become members. This list will be the permanent roll of the association. Having thus prepared the permanent roll,. the active roll will consist of those who attend one or more meetings during the season, and the missionary work should be done among those on the permanent roll, and among others who have not attended the association, and also, of course, among those who are delinquent in the active roll. To keep a record of the work, the card system may be adopted. By this a history of each individual may be kept, and a record of the work. accomplished with and by him may be made. The membership committee should labor personally with each young man, for this missionary work is necessarily individual. The members of the committee should study the nature of the boy and his companions. They should enlist the services of the bishop, the M. I. A. officers, parents, and ward teachers, and should be in close touch with the class leaders and the directors of the various activities of the association, such as the social work, the debates, the orations, the story-telling, athletics, boy scouts, etc. Members of the committee should not only attend the study-class, but the social functions, the class parties, skating parties, sleigh-riding parties, and other functions, so that they may be made thoroughly familiar with the social conditions and intellectual activities of the organization and the boys. It is not too late to begin this work this season. If these com- mittees are organized, set to work now, and properly checked up by the officers of the associations, at their weekly meetings, it will be a good beginning for the fall campaign for membership. It is particularly desired that the officers of the Y. M. M. I. A. shall make a specialty of this membership committee work early next season, say early in October, so as to start the organization with a full membership; and then, of course, put forth continued effort to enroll such eligible young men as have not been induced to join in the early part of the season. In a number of wards that have tried this system, the membership has been increased all the way from 25 to 75 and 100 per cent, and we believe that this can be done in nearly every organization in the Church. Instead of having eight members in the Y. M. M. I. A. out of every 100 Church members in the ward, we should make the average in the Church at least 15 per cent, which is still below the average of our best associations. Let the officers of each stake and ward consider their annual to be reports and ascertain whether or not the per cent that ought members in the Mutual enrolled in their stakes and wards are active Improvement Association. At least 10 per cent of the Church population should be activelyengaged in Mutual Improvement Work, and that the officers of this should be the standard for the coming season the stakes and wards should work to. 392 IMPROVEMENT ERA "Get the boy into the association, and make it worth while for him to stay there," is the slogan we should adopt. Your brethren, Committee on Stake Work of General Board Y. M. M. I. A. By Heber J. Grant, Chairman. February Class in Athletics On Monday, February 10, the second M. I. A. Normal Training Course for this season will be opened at the Deseret Gymnasium^nd will continue for four weeks. This will permit the young men to return home in time for the spring plowing. While it is desirable that young men be called to take this course who have sufficient education and ability to become leaders, it is assmned that most men of this type are so engaged in business and professional duties that they could take the work only at a great sacrifice. It is, therefore, considered wise to open this course to young men who may not be identified with Mutual work, and who may now be spending their time to very little purpose at home. These men would be immeasurably benefited by taking this course, and in many instances would develop into successful leaders and trainers. The nature of the work is such that it becomes fascinating to boys who ofttimes find little or no interest in other activities. Many young men are neither able nor qualified to go on foreign missions, but could and would, if they were called, take this course, and we are safe in saying that no other brief mission would be of greater benefit to them. It is suggested that at least one or more young men in each ward be called to take this work at his own expense. Instructions in field and track events, scout work, swimming, games and dancing, will be given. The work is all given by experienced teachers, who are experts in their lines. The classes meet five hours each day. The expense for board, tuition, books, gymnasium suit, etc., need not exceed $35. Bountiful Scout Banquet On December 13, 1912, the Bountiful M. I. A. Scouts gave their first annual banquet under the direction of L. D. Briggs, the scout leader. Thirty-two boys made up the troop. The affair was given in honor of the boys' parents, all of whom were present. The program of toasts was the following, L. F. Muir acting as toastmaster: "What the Boy Scouts Can Do for Bountiful," Mayor Charles R. Mabey; "The Clean Young Man," John R. Rampton; "The Cold- Water Cure," President Joseph H. Grant; "The Boy as the Future Business Man," Richard Stringham; "The Man and the Maid," Apostle Heber J. Grant;