--- 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: 17 number: 3 published: 1914-01 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: "Young Men's Mutual Improvement Associations, \"Sermonets,\" *Improvement Era* 17, no. 3 (January 1914): 187." source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1703unse 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: improvementera1703unse start_page: 187 end_page: 187 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1914-01) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1703unse publication_year: 1914 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 1914, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # Sermonets SERMONETS "School is a drill for the battle of life — if you fail in the drill, you fail in the battle." — Dr. Karl G. Maeser. "I am not bound to win, but I am bound to be true. I am not bound to succeed, but I" am bound to live up to the light I have. I must stand with anybody who stands right, stand with him while he is right, and part with him when he goes wrong." — Abraham Lincoln. One bishop said, "This ward seems to be dying. Why don't you wake up and do something?" His ward was dead, and only awaited the spiritual undertakers. Another bishop said, "I can never be too grateful for what you have done for me! You have done so much to make the ward alive!" His ward was alive', and wouldn't need the services of the sexton, at least during his life-time. It all depends on your attitude. There is everything in suggestion, even to grown-ups. Joseph of old conserved the crops of the years of plenty and thus mitigated famine and suffering; in our day, science has enabled man to conserve the waters of the Nile, to the same end. It is reported that the Nile flood of 1913 was the lowest since the flood records have been kept. A few years ago that would have meant famine and pestilence, but thanks to the great Assouan- dam and the new irrigation system, the crops are not materially reduced. In Lower Egypt they are actually above the average. That is a great triumph for modern engineering, and for the British administration of Egyptian affairs. If a man smile, and wave his hand at you as you walk down the street in the morning, you wave your hand back and smile in return uncounsciously, and often one little experience like this will key for you the day joyously. Courtesy, kindness, good-will, generosity, liberality, are all catching. Nothing is so contagious as a smile. Try it on the first man you see. No matter how grouchy he is, you can melt him. You really don't have to say anything or do anything. Just hold the attitude of good-will, and when you meet him smile, and you will see his face relaxes in turn. Cast thy bread upon the waters and it shall return after many days buttered, and sometimes with jam on it. All that we have in the world is what we give out, and the more good we give out, the more good we have. — Elbert Hubbard.