Editors' Table: Vocations and Industries

Editors' Table

Vocations and Industries

Work Something to do ! That is the cry and desire of the !

young and the active. If useful and good employment is not found or given them there is grave clanger that they will choose to do that which will perhaps lead them to evil. Useful employment is a wonderful help in the development of life and character. We all recognize that the intellectual nature should be cultivated and that spiritual food should be provided, but we must admit that it is quite as essential that there shall be helpful and useful employment, so that the hands may be trained to skilful work as well as the brain to do- right thinking. In the March Era some thoughts were expressed on "What to Suggest to Boys." It is a pertinent and timely problem in which the M. I. A. are striving to interest parents and boys alike, and which the Era is helping by printing such suggestions as may come to hand. We call special attention to the articles appearing each month, by Elder B. H. Roberts, on this topic, and trust that allwho are interested will take the time to read and study them, and also add their thoughts upon the subject, which will be gladly used as far as possible. Touching this subject, a correspondent gives an interesting, and it may be helpful, account of what was done in the early 70's, when the M. I. A. was first established in Ephraim, Sanpete county. The organizers appointed a president and counselors in that place and left it with them to obtain a membership. Some time after, on returning, they found that only one member had been enrolled. The enterprise looked like a failure. The organizers then called upon a Sunday School teacher, who, in the late 60's and early 70's, had organized a successful theological class in the Sunday School of Ephraim. His class, which consisted of about twenty young men, was bodily organized into a Young Men's Mutual Improvement Association, with less than twenty members. Our correspondent then proceeds In less than three years there was a regular attendance *>f over

;

638 IMPROVEMENT ERA 135. But the point I wish to bring out is the way it was worked to make the name Improvement applicable. The president called the boys together and said, "I have twenty acres of land close to town; you may use it, provided you will fence and sow it with alfalfa, cultivate and take care of it." In a very short time the twenty acres of land was enclosed with a good pole fence, the land plowed, prepared, and sown into alfalfa. The boys did the work under the leadership of the teacher. It was soon proposed, and the proposition put into execution, to import some thoroughbred sheep to consume the feed from the Young Men's farm, and also to raise some improved sheep to sell to the local flockmasters. By the way, these sheep were the first pure-bred Merino sheep known of in this locality. Next the teacher said, "See here, boys, people need lime; there is plenty of lime-rock and wood in the mountains. Let us build kilns, burn lime, and sell to the public," and for years the young men supplied the town with all the lime needed. The teacher and young men then claimed and opened up a stone quarry, and for a long time supplied the city with a fine quality of white This same quality of stone has now oolite stone for building purposes. become widely known in the United States. They also experimented successfully with hemp raising, and contemplated establishing a rope factory. The teacher said, "Boys, go to your fathers and get ten dollars each. Either let your parents give you the money, or lend it to you, and you can promise to pay it back to them within a year." Within a very short time over $800. had been secured, for which they bought a good threshing machine. There were eighty-three shares at ten dollars per share. The boys then threshed their fathers' grain, and stored their toll from which they later drew according to the amount each had invested. All these things were started under the commonwealth plan every boy was interested in the business, and so worked the harder to make the undertakings a success. The boys petitioned the city council for a city lot, as the city then had some lots not disposed of. The council gave them two acres of ground, upon which the young men proposed to build a hall of their own, as the association had grown so that there was not room enough for all who wished to attend their meetings. The young men would surely have accomplished this undertaking, since they had both means and brains enough to push things to a finish, but alas, time changes the order of things, and men change. In 1881, the president and teacher was called on a foreign mission, and other men were called to preside over the association, men with different ideas, who saw and thought quite differently. When the teacher returned, in 1883, to his regret and surprise he found that the Young Men's farm had been sold, that some one had claimed the stone-quarry, that the city lot

EDITORS' TABLE 639

was sold,and the thresher was nearly worn out, and the only thing left of it allwas a small case of books called the Young Men's library. This library, of course, was good in itself, and while the association still existed, the young men had lost all interest and enthusiasm in these practical undertakings. It must be remembered that while the young men were working out these practical problems, their moral, spiritual and intellectual development was not neglected. They attended their meetings and social gatherings regularly, and worked with a vim in whatever was undertaken. But when these practical things were left out, they seemed to lose interest in their meetings, where for years these had been crowded. The writer has traveled a good deal, preached the gospel, baptized many people, and officiated in nearly all the offices and ordinances of the Church, and has seen many great manifestations of the Lord's power, but never has he witnessed anything more sublimely satisfactory than the meetings of these young men, some thirty-five years ago. Why, it seemed sometimes like the veil was withdrawn, and we could gaze into eternity and feel that holy beings were in our midst. At first some of the rowdy boys looked through the windows into our meetings, then they came and sat by the door, but in a night or two offered to have their names enrolled. We had no trouble in getting the boys to join the association, but rather trouble to get a place large enough for our meetings. I see many undeveloped, or shall I say unappreciated, opportunities around us at present, if but men with tact, vim and unselfish minds, could be found to step forward and say, "Here, boys, see here is matter unorganized, let us go to and produce something, and not be

consumers altogether." Produce something, I care not what it is, so that it is useful. Break into the work, and make business partners of the boys. With the spiritual teachings provided him, take him by the hand and treat him as your friend and confidant, organize practical companies, and do things that will interest him, and start him right on the road to vocational and business success. I know of no greater satisfaction that can come to a man in look-

ing back upon his life than to see and know that he has spent his time and money in benefiting his fellow-man. We are called to be saviors of men, that means spiritually, temporally, and physically. All that is needed is to step forward with real interest and intent, and try to

lead the bnv alone:, and most of them will follow.