--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Callis, Charles A. collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 16 number: 11 published: 1913-09 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: "Callis, Charles A., \"Daniel's Wisdom May I Know,\" *Improvement Era* 16, no. 11 (September 1913): 1127–1129." source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera16011unse 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: improvementera16011unse start_page: 1127 end_page: 1129 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1913-09) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera16011unse 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. --- # Daniel's Wisdom May I Know "Daniel's Wisdom May I|Know" BY CHARLES A. CALLIS, PRESIDENT OF THE SOUTHERN STATES MISSION. The following timely and instructive editorial appeared in a recent issue of the Commercial-Appeal, Tennessee : "The story of Daniel, at the court of the Babylonian king, will never lose its charm. It has been chronicled in song and story, and comes to us with renewed power when we are brought face to face with any great crisis in our career. "How many young men started along the road of life dare follow the example of Daniel, dare to stand alone, to have a firm purpose and adhere to it? "It is a question which the younger generation should be able to ask and answer. ************ "Daniel was one of the Hebrew youths carried away from Jeru- salem by the victorious Nebuchadnezzar, and compelled to serve in the royal court. They were fed, according to custom, with meat and wine taken from the king's table. This food was first consecrated to the Babylonian gods. To the pious Jews it was unclean. To eat it was defilement, and Daniel resolved in his heart that he would not defile himself. He took the initiative and three of his companions followed him. At first the steward was unwilling to supply other food. He knew he was responsible for the appearance of his captives and his head would pay the forfeit if the king noted any deferioration in their physical condition. In the end he yielded to their demand, but only after Daniel had shown his unwillingness to eat and a will- ingness to starve rather than defile himself. "This is the lesson for the young men of today. If evil in life is to be overcome, the fight must be made at the beginning and not at the end. The way to resist temptation is to meet it at the door and not wait until it has crossed the threshold and domiciled itself in our hearts and lives. Evil begins first in thought and ends in action. Avoid the evil thought and the problem is solved. The man who can control the citadel of his own mind is secure from all attacks from without. Withstand the beginnings. That is the surest and safest way. * * * Thought, imagination, delight and content. This is the personal biography of every sinful man and woman. It is the road that too' many of us have traveled. Having chosen your purpose in life, do as Daniel did. Refuse to take the first step and the second will never present itself. This is the message of the Hebrew youth to the young men of today. It is one that cannot be valued too highly. At first there might seem to be little resemblance between our situa- tion and that of the Babylonian captive. We have not been taken from our homes by force and made to serve in the court of a king. Yet we are called upon to leave our homes, called out into the world to accept our portion of the world's responsibilities and bear our part of its burdens. "Many a young man goes from his home in the country to another 1128 IMPROVEMENT ERA in search of an opportunity to make a living. Amid strange sur- roundings, free from parental or social restraint of earlier years, he is exposed to many strange temptations. He is brought in contact with new sensations, new customs, new practices. He is often forced to hear things lie has been taught to revere spoken of with indiffer- ence and derision. This is his Babylonian sojourn. With this simi- larity of conditions there comes the same ringing demand for personal purity and integrity. He must purpose in his heart that he will keep inviolate the citadel of his soul. "The pathway of life is beset with temptations * * * The great need of today is men who dare to say no when brought face to face with temptation. This is the ideal made illustrious by Daniel in the midst of the capital city of heathendom." It is most interesting and encouraging to note that not only did Daniel and his brethren appear "fairer and fatter in flesh," because they would not defile themselves "with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank," which they re- garded as unclean, but they received knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom ; in such measure that Daniel won the favor of the king by his wisdom and understanding. In the 89th section of the Doctrine and Covenants, one of the standard works of the Church, is a revelation from the Lord, given through the prophet, Joseph Smith. This, revelation, according to the word of the Lord is : "A Word of Wisdom * * * showing forth the order and will of God in the temporal salvation of all Saints in the last days. Given for a principle with promise, adapted to the capacity of the weak and the weakest of all Saints, who are or can be called Saints." In this Word of Wisdom we learn that it is the will of God that it is not good to drink strong drink (intoxicating liquor) ; that tobacco is not for the body, and therefore, not good for man ; and that hot drinks, tea and coffee, are not for the body. Now here are two of the promises that the Lord makes to "all Saints who remember to keep and do these sayings, walking in obedience to the commandments." First, "They shall receive health." Second, they "shall find wisdom," which Solomon says is the principal thing, "and great treasures of knowledge, even hidden treasures." Daniel's example was written for our admonition. "All Saints * * * the weak and the weakest of all Saints, who are or can be called Saints," should purpose in their hearts, as Daniel did, that they will not partake of the things God has said are not good for the body. The Master said : "He that overcometh, I will give to him to sit down with me in my Father's throne." We can overcome that which is against the counsels of God, not by our own power, but by the help of the Lord. The Apostle Paul points out the way grandly : "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." (Ph. 4 :13.) The poet Browning says : "DANIEL'S WISDOM MAY I KNOW" 1129 "When the fight begins, within himself A man's worth something. God stoops o'er his head." Sound bodies and sound minds are built by eating the food which "God hath ordained for the constitution, nature, and use of man," and by refraining from the use of those things which lie has said are not good for us. "One good example is worth a thousand arguments." A house is set in order when the will of the Lord is done therein. The inmates of such a house will have an excellent spirit in them, as we are told Daniel had, and they will nnrpose in their hearts that they will keep themselves unspotted from the sins of the world. They will acknowledge the Lord in all t'eir ways and he will direct their paths. — Liahona the Elders' Journal. Divine Authority E. J. Tenney, Chula Vista, Cal., writes: "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints received its authority to officiate in the ordinrnces of the gospel directly from the Lord, through the Prophet Joseph Smith, unto whom heavenly beings appeared and conferred the arthority rpon him. This gives the Latter-day Saints authority to baptize and to administer in other ordinances of the gospel. I know of no people, church, or community, except the Latter-day Saints, who are thus authorized. I prayed that I might receive the Holy Ghost before I became familiar with the Latter-day Saints, and then heard that they conferred the Holy Ghost by the authority of Jesus Christ. Yet, while I longed for this blessing, I did not want to seek it through the Latter-day Saints. I had an idea that a people of such bad repute could not and did not have such glorious blessings; but at length, I saw that the elders were truthful and honest, and then I tried to get them to lay their hands upon me for the reception of the Holy Ghost. They told me this could not be done until I had been baptized. When I said that I had been baptized, they told me, 'not by proper authority,' and it was then they explained to me the authority which the Prophet Joseph received, and which has been conferred upon the elders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I was then baptized by them, and have experienced the promise, and have received the Holy Ghost."