--- 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: 6 published: 1913-04 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations, "Messages from the Missions," *Improvement Era* 16, no. 6 (April 1913): 639–643.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1606unse 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: improvementera1606unse start_page: 639 end_page: 643 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1913-04) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1606unse 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. --- # Messages from the Missions Messages from the Missions The Northern States Mission, German E. Ellsworth, President, is planning for a new meetinghouse and headquarters for the mission, to be erected in Chicago. The site has already been purchased, and xh" new meetinghouse will be 60 feet by 150 feet in size, situate at Logan 1 640 IMPROVEMENT ERA Snuare, a well-known point in Chicago, and a choice and desirable location. The meetinghouse will be built with a view to seating 250 people, and leave place besides for an office building and a home. Elder Ralph H. Hendricks, of Richmond, Utah, who labored for the past year as a missionary in the British mission, died in England, February 23, of hemorrhage of the lungs and stomach. He was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Samuel C. Hendricks, of Richmond, Cache county, and was born November 17, 1890. He left Salt Lake for England, April 2, 1912, and made good progress in his work in the mission field. Elder K. N. Winnie sends a message from Nome, Alaska, January 3: "The gospel is winning its way into the hearts and homes of the people. 'It is not ye that speak but My Spirit that dwelleth in you.' To feel one's being thrilled with joy un- speakable as he bears his humble testi- mony of the and power of restoration the gospel in these latter days is to sense the position the true Latter-day Saint occupies in the world. New Year's night I spent a social evening at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Vanderworker. I found two other friends there, a lady formerly a member of Alexander Dowie's Zion City, Illinois, and Prof. Henry Peterson, a pianist and a strong friend of our peo- ple. Years ago when a mere boy in his home-town in far-away Denmark he heard the elders as they traveled minis- tering to the people. He also remembers the emigration that followed the large introduction of the gospel in his native land. I had with me four phonograph — records selections from the Tabernacle Choir of Salt Lake City, which we haerd, elder K. n. winnie and the y a11 a S reed we had enjoyed a musical treat Said the Professor, T have Background is the Behring Sea, Nome Alaska never before heard such volume of har- mony and sweetness. There is conviction of faith in every word, and an intensity of spirit and purpose seldom possessed by members of other churches.' I feel to say to the choir, 'Sing on, sing on, ye valiant sons and daughters of our God!' After games and refreshments, the professor and Airs. Vanderworker asked many questions pertaining to the work of the Lord, and for two hours I answered these to the satisfaction of all, explaining many of the principles of the gospel pertaining to the redemption of the living and the dead. I expect to continue this kind of work for the remainder of the winter, and by so doing, bring people to realize what the EDITORS' TABLE 641 true gospel is. After several renditions of music by Prof Peterson with best wishes for a Happy New Year, we parted with the music from the big choir still ringing in our ears." Mrs. Ella M. Eardley writes from Rotterdam, Holland, January 4: "I read with pleasure about thegrand and noble work done by the boys in the various mission fields. I am the only lady missionary in this mission, but the girls and women here are doing good work to help preach the gospel. They act as teachers in the Sunday Schools; THE ENGLISH CLASS OF ROTTERDAM BRANCH they make up the better half of our fine choirs, and they carry on our Relief societies. Our Relief society in Rotterdam is a large association of women who devote a great deal of time to the work along about the same lines that the Relief societies at home do. We also have large organizations in Amsterdam and Utrecht and other cities. A number of younger mebers of the mission are bent on learning English, and I have been holding an English class among the sisters in this city. I teach them English and the gospel at the same time, be- cause we have now advanced so far that each evening after our regular lesson we are able to take up some article in the Era, 'Young Woman's Journal,' or 'Juvenile' and read and enjoy it, so that even in this land the Era and other Church publications are not only appreciated by the missionaries, but by the Saints as well. I am sure you will agree with me that my 'English' girls in the photograph are a bright group." 642 IMPROVEMENT ERA _ v en ,—, 1 1 33J o - ^ ",B B "B C il> 'T' rt-r;oi-^^O^i3 jS.s i: o o | J3.H a, JS - "(Lirt^^.xcort-t; 'rt~B^£?°Z £ B !>, rt v* c^<- c c .,_, . - c^ B " J •" 3 G U* > T3 a; rt ° £ ^ £ > HH J c S .«--B^^rS .Bo ffi 2 ° « &S rt^^-- '-> - = -~ v rt rt^> % .<""z: c« t»> B . e |h 3 g >,S B .-- c-r- ^5! -B £[l S dM be O d hj cj "O O to O J2 rB o , ~ l- (« |_ ^ /-N I •— o^^: ° rt O rt P^ oU ^3 — (" (L> t^ H «0 C3 "^ M oc^u £? S rt £ i Priesthood Quorums' Table The Ordained Teacher BY BISHOP H. H. BLOOD, OF KAYSVILLE, DAVIS STAKE OF ZION Personal Loyalty and Responsibility to His Quorum— Official Duties—His Place in the Ward.— A group of young men of Lesser Priesthood age residing in a nearby stake were about to go on an expedition through the mountains and, as they came together to perfect their plans, one of them proposed that all profanity and vulgarity, and the use of cigarettes and intoxicants be tabooed during the trip; that the boys be clean in word and act while away from home. The suggestion met with instant favor and was adopted. A mild penalty for the breaking of the rule, entailing temporary physical discomfort, was agreed upon. The company was made up of ordinary country boys, with habits of speech and conduct such as might be expected in such a class. But they individually determined to be true to the compact they had made, and the trip was undertaken with every young man on guard to see that the high standard of conduct that had been set was maintained. Only a very few during the outing were found to be transgressors, and these not wilfully, but thoughtlessly. The boys — came home conquerors of themselves. This was an M. I. A. Boy Scout company, part of the band that marched down over the Pioneer trail into Salt Lake City on the 24th of July last. Mention is made of the incident here, not to advocate the adoption of Boy Scout work in Priesthood quorums, but to lay stress upon the fact that what our Lesser Priesthood quorums need is Boy Scout loyalty, mutual helpfulness, and determination to be clean and true to high resolves. No more perfect organizations for the developing of good habits and the training in proper conduct could be brought into existence than the quorums of Priesthood, wherein young men of like age and similar environment are grouped together for instruction and practice in good works. Other churches, lacking such organizations, have tried to meet the deficiency by forming societies and clubs, but in no church are the man-devised plans so complete, and in none should they be so effective, as is the system given by the Lord in the Priesthood quorums of the Church. The Holy Name Society, an association of Catholic young men, who pledge themselves especially against profanity, has come into existence as a recognition of the value of organized effort toward better living. The society has many branches in Catholic communities, publishes a journal in New York devoted to its interests, and is said to be exerting a wide influence for good among its members. Yet this society offers nothing that is in advance of what the Priesthood quorums of the Church give their members; indeed, it would seem that