Securing Activity in Religious Work

Securing Activity in Religious Work

BY GEORGE M. COPE

We assume that the "methods of securing activity" means the most practical or useable methods. Individuals differ as to the most feasible ways of gaining results, but when people inter- ested in a special work come together, and, after discussing planc, decide upon lines to pursue, and earnestly follow those lines, with a view of doing good, results for improvement are sure to attend. Following a line of work is activity. Activity means life and growth ; idleness means death or bodily and mental lethargy.

Take for example a good public speaker. At the beginning of his career, he may have possessed very little information and perhaps could scarcely give out what he had, but through steady and well directed efforts he has become able to present his ideas in a clear, logical, scholarly and convincing manner. Not through idleness, but through activity, through hours of earnest thought and planning. But the same hard work has been turned to joy. He is known as a strong man, and activity ought to be credited with giving the strength. What made President Wilford Wood- ruff such a power for good was his desire to do, his knowledge of the value of a soul, his trust in the Giver of All Good, and his faithful doing — his hard work. The Lord recognized his work, and added liberally to his already abundant talents.

As another example, take a skilled mechanic. If he is a European, his life after school was spent in hard work under direction of a master. Every detail was worked out and thor- oughly understood. Long hours were spent, and tedious tasks performed. Work that he was familiar with and that he had already learned to do must be done over and over again to stamp his mind with its accomplishment. For years before his creden- tials were given, he had to show that not a part of the task was misunderstood. But did he gain excellence without toil and labor? Would he have acquired skill by uninterestedly spending time within the shop doors ? It is work, actively and properly applied, that gained for him distinction in the mechanic's field.

Most of us have heard of the wrestler known as the "Russian Lion." He is a peer in physical strength and development, and has great powers of endurance. To uphold wrestling is not our aim, for there are more honorable vocations in which energy can bo spent. The purpose is to prove that activity accomplishes en- durance. To gain his strength and powers of holding out against

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opponents, the "Lion" had to undergo a systematic course of training. His coaches saw to it that he took each and every day sufficient exercise, which is activity, to develop the muscles har- moniously and perfectly, and every try-out added strength. Proper habits were required to be observed so that the building up process was not offset by a tearing down. Massage treatments were ap- plied to produce solid and firm muscles, and as a consequence of all this application, the man in question has tremendous powers of endurance. A store of strength is within his body to be drawn from in times of need. But such a store was not acquired by a life of ease and lounging in crowds of idlers. It was the activity that produced the power of endurance.

What is said of physical development can also be stated of intellectual and moral advancement. It is the activity along proper lines that brings the desired result. God intended every- one of his children to be active, and the scriptures are full of examples that show that we are expected to work. The following are passages in point :

"Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it."

"In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread."

"Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work."

"Honor the Lord with thy substance, and with the first fruits of increase."

"Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, and when it is in the power of thine hand to do it."

"Get wisdom, get understanding."

"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."

"Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you."

"Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven."

"Ask and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you."

"Whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them."

"If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him."

"Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this: To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep him- self unspotted from the world."

"Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only."

Our Church organization is designed to secure activity of all its members. In the early days of Utah there were not so many chances of giving all the people, young and old, opportunities to

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g-ain knowledge and impart the same to others, but today there is no possible excuse for us not having a chance to take part in these things. We have the priesthood quorum meetings, the Sunday schools, the mutual improvement associations, the primaries, the religion classes and the relief societies, and in almost all of these, at the present time, a necessity exists for more instructors. For some organizations teachers have to be taken from others, thus doubling the work. If any are not teachers or officers, they may be class-members and take part in the discussions, and in so doing advance intellectually as well as spiritually. The members of the priesthood quorums meet once a week. All should prepare the lessons, and take part in the discussions, thereby building themselves up and preparing themselves to preach the gospel when called into the world. In the mutuals, debates are held, occasion- ally, and these are important factors in producing strong logicians. The plan of the work in the improvement associations is so broad that all classes from fourteen years to old age can take part and learn things that will be of everlasting benefit to them.

"The mutual improvement associations impress upon their mem- bership not only the value of intellectual training, physical develop- ment and true religion, but also the need and value of good behavior, social purity, cleanliness in action and conversation and general social refinement. This organization is one of the great public forces in our community for the development of character among the young people."

The fact that we can attend these meetings and derive so many benefits ought to spur us on to take the most active part in them.

For those who are over six and under fourteen years of age, the religion classes furnish ample opportunities for a spiritual education and training, and it is important that this class of young people be active in attending and be well taught along the lines laid out. It is also important that the parents be concerned enough to induce their children to attend. Religious activity de- pends almost entirely upon the training and good impressions we get in our youth. If the training is well directed, the child will have a love for the work in which he was first taught.

The reason for the deep religious feeling of the north Euro- peans is that spiritual training is given in the public schools, and so thoroughly stamped upon the mind that a reverence for sacred things is shown ever afterward. This being true of the Protest- ant and Catholic beliefs, how much more apparent would it be if the true religion, as we understand it, be taught! Being pro- hibited by law from teaching religion in our institutions where the early scholastic training for the common people is received, how extra necessary it is that we work in the priesthood quorums

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and religion classes! If every child of latter-day Saint parents and all the young people who are qualified, were to take part in the priesthood quorums, and religion classes, and practice what they learn there, our standard of morality and our influence for good would be proportionately greater.

There is still another line of activity that two thousand young men and some young ladies are constantly engaged in that is bringing credit to our people and to civilization generally, although hundreds will not recognize it. We refer now to the missionaries in foreign lands. They go away from their homes and earnestly dedicate their lives, time and means, to the preaching of the gos- pel, and in this way not only make themselves active, but also their families, brothers and sisters as well. Hundreds of mothers and fathers are earnestly praying that God will watch over and protect their sons, and as many mothers call their rosy-cheeked children together, night and morning, and pray that papa will be protected and assisted in his work in the mission field, and that some one will be inspired to give him bread. This is a line of activity to which we can point with pride. Many men iestingly remark, "A mission is a good thing to have had." True, but isn't it equally well to say, "A mission is a good thing to be having?" The religious activity after all is the thing that creates joy and happiness, and no missionary can be inactive and be happy. It is the doing that creates the pleasures, and the activity inspired by the missionary that makes hundreds of others happy. And tes- timony upon testimony can be given that the young man who is most active in the organizations at home, especially in priesthood quorums, mutual improvement associations, Sunday schools and religion classes, will be the most successful man in the mission field. Too much, therefore, cannot be done for the furtherance of missionary work, at home and abroad.

We come now to the discussion of "How can we induce chil- dren to perform moral acts and form moral resolutions and habits." The answers to this will also be varied a^ different men have procured different results in this regard. Speaking from my own experience, I can say that the power of example had almost everything to do with mv moral training. Father made it a point to take us with him to help on the farm, to haul wood and rock, and to do other necessary work; and in all our associa- tions with him he never used vulgar language. Tf he spoke sharplv pnd saw that some one's feelings were hurt, he was ready to ask forgiveness. If a friend or neighbor offered him a drink of liquor he refused it. If tramps or beggars came to the door mother was requested to fped them. If mother was ill, or unable to do her household duties, he was ready to assist her. When we were asked to do a little job of work, we were given to understand that work came before pleasure, and whenever we had occasion to go

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to a dance, party or other entertainment, we were accosted with the remark: "Now I want you boys to behave yourselves," and from our previous instructions, we were taught what behaving ourselves meant. In all of the years that we spent with him, however, he was careful not to overdo his instructions to us. Thus, association with father, and the lessons learned through example, have been of priceless value to me. Mother also did her share to stamp good impressions upon my soul. One thing, especially, that we were instructed in, was that we ought not to tell a lie. ' Other lessons were given me in morals by my teachers, the greatest of these instructors being Dr. George H. Brimhall. Dozens of sayings of this good man present themselves in my mind when temptation comes, and on my recent trip to Europe, the strongest was : "Never leave any tracks behind that need to be covered up."

One feature of temptation hard for some of the young people to withstand in this going-out-every-night age is the feeling that many have that they can sneak their way into a theatre or ball. Many a surprise is sprung on the honest door-keeper when he en- o-ao-es himself to collect tickets. Young people whom he would Sever suspect of dishonesty present themselves and try some kind of scheme to get in for nothing. Such actions in all their phases should be discountenances.

Once a boy has drifted into the habit, and has possessed him- self of the idea that he can get admission for nothing and buy candv and nuts with the money he ought to have paid for his ticket it is difficult for him to break himself of that habit. A good resolu- tion on the part of a boy is shown by David Harum, when he was requested to go into the circus by the under-the-curtam route It was the first ^time in his life he had been near a circus, and he had run away from his father to see the show but when the suggestion came that he ought to crawl under the tent he an- swered emphatically : "No ; I don't crawl under no tent ; if I can t go in the way other folks do, I'll go home."

"How to determine what the children are doing. If we desire to learn the nature of animals and birds, we observe them If we want work well attended, we oversee it. And likewise, if we wish to find out exactly what the little folks or the members are lino- in any organization, we visit them and make observations Actnal contact is the best means, but if circumstances bai -our visiting the organizations, then reports from and talks with the officer! are to inform us. If the officers cannot be seen personally th^n written reoorts must suffice, but none are so satisfactory as personal mingling with the peoole. ,. , , „re

P If a mission president desires to know how his elders are e-ettine alon- he visits them : and if. after meeting in conference, tefeb that he should learn more, he may go among the members

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of the branch who, unasked, will give details, either complimentary or damaging.

The purpose of the visit, however, should be to teach some- thing through which the children and the people may accomplish more. In this teaching, different lives are impressed by the words of new visitors. What one man cannot do by way of making im- pressions, another can ; and who knows ! a score of young lives may receive good impressions from the visit of a brother or a sister, and anything that inspires young people to do better is a pearl of great price. If the officers cannot go among all the peo- ple, the aids are to assist, and after making their visits, are to report to those in charge.

Now, let us all strive to be more active, to leave impressions for good wherever we go, and endeavor to inspire a greater in- terest in our Church work ; and in years to come, men and women, well grounded in the faith through our efforts, will rise up and bless the days we spent in the service of the Church of Christ.

RICHFIELD, UTAH

(Articles of encouragement and help for the Priesthood Quorums and their workers, and for officers of the auxiliary organizations, will appear regularly in Vol. 17, Improvement Era.)

M. I. A. SCOUTS ON THE PIONEER TRAIL AT CAMP CLAYTON, EAST

CANYON, 1913.