Editors' Table

Editors' Table

A Happy New Year

We bid all a Happy New Year. Amidst the turmoil of the world, may peace abide with you. May we all live so that the Spirit of God may dwell in our hearts and abound in our homes. — May our hearts be softened in prayer to God, in that prayer which is a leading part in the great gospel of both temporal and spiritual life and salvation; the prayer that inclines men to walk in light and truth, and lifts them above the very appearance of sin. So shall we be prevented from becoming so absorbed in our temporal blessings that we forget the Giver of all good gifts who possesses the earth and the fulness thereof. His it is by right divine. He has given it to us to use freely, but without covetous- ness. We are not to grasp for more than will be for our good, for we thus hinder others from receiving their share of God's prov- idence and love. In return for his blessing to us, he expects that — we shall render service by sharing with others the good and the not good, the just and the unjust, even as he allows his sun to shine upon the good and the evil. Prayer helps us to remember and to appreciate. Then, let us pray as one of old "Remove far from me vanity and lies :

give me neither poverty nor riches feed me with food convenient ;

for me lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the Lord? or :

lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain ;" and the Lord will continue to bless us. He will grant us all a Happy New Year.

A Notable Missionary Tour

The main event of the recent missionary trip of President Joseph F. Smith and his party to the Central and Southern states, and California missions, was the dedication of a $25,000 chapel in Independence, Jackson County, Missouri, the land of Zion. It

was a notable and historical event. The chapel was dedicated by President Smith on November 22. Three meetings were held, that day. The house was filled to overflowing, many representative citizens being in attendance at each session. Then followed the visit to leading mission quarters and citic in the South, the main features of which were the sermons on the

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firstprinciples of the gospel, delivered by Presidents Smith and Penrose, and by Elders George Albert Smith, Joseph F. Smith, Jr., Bishop Charles W. Nibley, and on one occasion by Sisters Smith, Penrose and Nibley. They had large audiences in Memphis and Chattanooga, Term., in Atlanta, Ga., in Jacksonville, Fla., El Paso. Texas, and Los Angeles, Cal. Many representative citizen shook hands with them and congratulated them. In Jacksonville the first Latter-day Saint meetinghouse had been burned down by a mob some years ago, but the present house was built on the same spot. Some of those who assisted in burning the former house, had aided in the erection of the present one. The people there were most friendly, and at the afternoon meeting in the Woodmen of the World hall, 650 people attended, and the speak- ers were applauded. While in Jacksonville, a new meetinghouse site was inspected on which will be erected a building to cost be- tween five and six thousand dollars. At El Paso President Smith gave advice to the Mexican refugees who are still there, the El- Paso Herald giving a full and favorable report of his sermon, and summarized it thus :

"We want peace in Mexico so that our people can return, but we have a deeper feeling than this. "We want peace because we feel for the people of Mexico, we see them cursed by all of the horrrors of bloody strife. It is a sad, sad sight."

After holding meetings in the Los Angeles mission chapel, the party returned to Salt Lake on December 9, having spent three weeks, in a successful and most remarkable missionary tour. Concerning it the First Presidency in their "Greetings" in the Christmas News says

"A cause of great rejoicing and encouragement is the evident change of sentiment among thinking people everywhere in reference to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Numerous visit- ors to our chief cities have become acquainted with actual conditions here, in seeing the 'fruits of Mormonism' for themselves. Number- less tourists who have been on our Temple block and have obtained knowledge through our efficient Bureau of Information established there, have carried back to their homes an understanding of the truth concerning us. And the missionaries, in their travels, by the excellent example they set of purity in their lives, sincerity in their callings and the 'love of the neighbor,' shown forth in their gratuitous work for the uplifting of humanity, have made a favorable impression upon the public mind, and the former feeling of animosity ' has in a great degree been changed to one of admiration. "In the recent tour of two of the First Presidency and party through the Central and Southern States and California Missions this change has been manifested in a most striking manner. In regions where our elders in times past have been beaten with many stripes, and some of them have lost their lives while promulgating the gospel of peace, this company of ministers have been received with the greatest respect and courtesy. Prominent people in the different

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cities that were visited came forward and expressed their good-will and their appreciation of the discourses that were delivered and the presence among them of the servants of the Lord. The journey was made through seventeen different States of the Union, covering over six thousand one hundred miles of railway transportation, holding numerous crowded meetings, and paying brief visits to notable places, without any accident or misfortune; and the kindness exhibited and the aid afforded by railway officials everywhere, as well as the numerous friendly newspaper notices, combined to prove clearly that public opinion is changing wonderfully, and the faith and works of the Latter-day Saints are being discovered in their true light."

'Mormonism" — Historically, Doctrinally, Prophetically

Elias, the great epie poem of the Latter-day Saints, by Orson F. Whitney, has recently appeared in a new edition. In the pop- ular new form it is sold in different bindings, ranging in cost from 65 cents, $1, $1.50 to $2 per copy. It is most appropriate for holiday or birthday gifts. As we learn from the foreword, Elias was begnn in 1900, and first published in the autumn of 1904, in an edition de luxe of 150 copies, with two less pretentious editions that were subscribed for by friends of the author. Since the first edition was printed, the author has brought the work into a more finished state, the results of which are now placed before the reader in this beautiful edition. The poem consists of twelve parts, a prelude, ten cantos, and an epilogue. An important and valuable addition is appended consisting of 314 explanatory notes of reference, the same being for the benefit of students. Re- cently the work was introduced as a text book in the Church schools, hence the annotations. The poem is a comprehensive presentation of the vast theme of "Mormonism," historically, doctrinally and prophetically and the experiences of the Church ;

of Christ in various dispensations are graphically portrayed. "The medial point is the Dispensation of the Fulness of Times, the era of restitution, when the house of God is to be set in order, and all things in Christ are to be gathered in one." To those who enjoy a real study of "Mormonism" in exalted, poetic dissertation, this work will strongly appeal. Every student of the "Mormon" people and their religion will find opportunity afforded in this great work to study their beliefs on man's origin and destiny, and the direct dealings of God with man upon earth, in both former dispensations and in our own dispensation. Following is a brief synopsis of the contents Canto 1 describes the author's spiritual awakening; his prepara- tion for singing the "Song of the Ages." Canto 2 represents him as soliloquizing upon his native mountains where he meets "The Soul of Song," and is inspired to sing the epic of time and eternity. Canto 3, "Elect of Elohim," is the beginning of the poem proper. It glimpses

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— the pre-existence the choosing of the Christ, the rebellion of Lucifer, the Savior's descent to earth, his crucifixion and return to glory. Canto 4, "Night and the Wilderness," portrays the spiritual night that followed the setting of the Sun of Righteousness, a night lit by moon — and stars the Holy Spirit, the Apostolic Twelve, and lesser lights twinkling down through the dark ages and onward into modern times. Canto 5, "The Messenger of Morn," is the story of the Dispensation of the Fulness of Times. Canto 6, "From Out the Dust," is a poetic abridgment of the Book of Mormon. Canto 7, "The Arcana of the Infinite," presents the advanced principles of the gospel. Canto 8, "The Lifted Ensign," signifies the organization of the Church in latter days. Canto 9, "Upon the Shoulders of the Philistine," portrays the westward movement of God's people, incidental to the gathering of scattered Israel. The concluding canto represents Joseph the Seer as viewing the future and foretelling to his people their great destiny. The Epilogue is an address to Elias, the angel of restoration, of prep- aration, and eternal progress who, in response to the poet's invoca- tion, proclaims his identity with the guiding genius of every great movement that has benefited mankind. Canto 10, "The Parted Veil," reveals the vision of the Prophet Joseph Smith as he beheld the future destiny of the world, and of the Saints in their settlements in the Rocky Moun- tains. Preceding the prophet's vision are a number of verses generalizing what follows in detail, and in which the author in stately and beautiful lines eulogizes the glorious West, the home of the Latter-day Saints

"Whose but a prophet's eye such end could see? Whose but a prophet's tongue the issue tell? A modern march of ancient destiny, Another Exodus and Israel, Bidding his bonds, his all, save hope, farewell, Widening, 'mid alien wastes, true freedom's fame. Where bondage, chained to darkness, fain would dwell; And rearing temples to Jehovah's name, Where looms the Aztec's altar, quenched of its ancient flame. "There bringing forth the promise of thy land, — O rare and wondrous West! the prophecy Of glittering cities strewn along thy strand, Of golden empire of the sunset sea! God-gifted Seer, while gazing endlessly, Sawest thou an Eden on the desert brine, Begirt with desolation's mystery, Ere gusht the riven rock with milk and wine, Where all was treeless waste and sun-baked alkaline! "Sawest thou, O prophet! till the pioneer Builded his eagle nest, and pure and brave Homed on the white-helmed peak and crystal mere? O matchless land — the home their valor gave, Mighty in will to bless, in work to save

264 IMPROVEMENT ERA "Land prest by footprint of my pilgrim sire; Land visioned by my more than sire, whose soul Swept the far future with a glance of fire, Bade hope, as memory, her page unroll; Beheld uplifting, as a parted scroll, The curtain from a kingdom yet to be, Binding in one world-realms from pole to pole; Saw monarchs bow, saw nations bend the knee, Saw dead and risen time take on eternity."

Brigham Young and the Poor Logger

"A Play-House," by Alfred Lambourne, is a new book just issued from the press of the Deseret News, treating the old Salt Lake Theatre. It is a sketch in the form of three short letters, and contains reminiscences of the scene painter's gallery with glimpses of the pioneers and a number of notables. It contains also a number of very interesting sidelights upon the past votaries of the dramas and tragedies that have been presented in the old play-house. In this work the noted author has crowded into sixty-four pages a story intensely interesting and full of history. The facts lead one to philosophize. The interest is carried from beginning to end, and many notable characters, local and foreign, receive passing consideration. Brigham Young and others are named, and many unnamed local characters are recalled between the lines. Henry Ward Beecher, the younger Charles Dickens, Oscar Wilde, George Francis Train, Victoria C. Woodhull, Theo- dore Tilton, Anna Eva Fay, Col. Robert G. Ingersoll, Charles Bright, John B. Goff, Moody & Sankey, Rev. Joseph Cooke, De- witt Talmage, Charles Kingsley, Julia Dean, Henry M. Stanley, Edwin Booth, Mary Anderson, Langtry and many others, who have trodden the boards of the historic building, are among the celebrities brought before the reader. Here is a little anecdote of Brigham Young: "How difficult is it to be in the first class, in the first class as a man, I mean. When the writer used to tell the following little an- ecdote verbally, he used to spice it with rather a malicious pleasure, pei haps, with the names of the second and third class men. But now they shall be left out. It may be that they are dead, and if yet living, they cannot play the game of little autocrats as once they did! " 'The Big Picnic,' as pioneers remember, was held at the head of a canyon in the Wasatch Mountains. The pine is yet standing, trimmed of its upper branches, of course, that served as a flag-pole on these occasions. One day, as the string of vehicles that brought back the picnic party at the end of the week was winding its way down the canyon road, it so happened that there was, also, trudging his way homeward, a poor wood-cutter, a logger, a man loaded down with his blankets, his pots and kettles, and making his way but wearily, through the hot dust of the canyon road. Nothing remarkable about that — but wait! Mr. Second-Class-Man went by; Mr. Third-Class- Man went by. Did either of them stop to take up his poor 'brother*?