--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Clawson, Rudger collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 18 number: 7 published: 1915-05 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'Rudger Clawson, "Priesthood Quorums’ Table—Report," *Improvement Era* 18, no. 7 (May 1915): 649–653.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1807unse 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: improvementera1807unse start_page: 649 end_page: 653 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1915-05) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1807unse publication_year: 1915 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 1915, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # Priesthood Quorums’ Table—Report Priesthood Quorums' Table A New Battle Cry for the Lesser Priesthood Quorums The Priesthood Committee reported as follows at the April Con ference: Dear Brethren: The Committee on Priesthood outlines respect- fully report and refer to two important items of progress inaugurated during the past two years, and to a new slogan for the year to come. First — The proper organization of Priests' quorums and classes throughout the Church. This succeeded to such an extent that where as, a few years ago there were in fact only a very small number of Priests in the Church, and very few bishops presiding personally over Priests quorums, now there are 8,830 Priests in the Church, over 6,000 of whom are attending their quorum meetings and classes. These Priests, the choice young men of the community, are being instructed and presided over by the bishops of the Church. The results arising from such instruction by the bishops, and the contact of the young men with the presiding authorities, of the Church, are themselves very and a great impetus to progress. satisfying, — Second The second item is improvement made in ward teaching. The work in this line was practically followed up by the Presiding Bishopric, until there resulted a complete revolution in the matter of ward teaching throughout the Church. The per cent of families throughout the Church visited monthly by the teachers has grown from a very small proportion to a very satisfactory proportion. In some stakes little if any teaching was done; in others it was very indif- ferently and unsystematically attempted. Through the efforts of the committee, supplemented by the splendid work of the Bishopric, the average per cent of families visited during each month of the year by the ward teachers in the various stakes of Zion now totals forty-five, or practically one-half of the families of the Church visited monthly by the ward teachers. The results of these visits, the contact of the peo- ple with the teachers, the number of men put into active service, and the instructions given have awakened a great interest in the doctrines of the Church, and in their practice among the Saints. Spiritual growth has been promoted, and the spirit of the gospel has been fanned into flame among many members of the Church. The prosecution of this noble work should continue until there shall be greater efficiency in every department, until practically every family in the Church shall be visited by faithful teachers each month; every bishop throughout the Church shall have a class of Priests un- der his tutelage, and until every Priest in the Church shall be active in his duties and brought in contact with the spirit of the gospel through his presiding officer. And let us here revert to the special labor of quorum officers. Up- on them rests the responsibility in the first place to see that their mem- bers continue in all good effort, faithfully to perform their duties. And not only that, but their specific duty is to maintain the identity and high standard of their quorum, and look to it that its record as a quorum shall equal the good standing of its membership. The quorum as an entity should be ambitious to do something worthy, and as a quorum be alive to the opportunities to render practical help to the work of the Lord. What have you done as a quorum? That is a question quite as pertinent as, What have you done as a member? The officers are responsible for the proper answer. We call the attention of stake and ward authorities generally to another work that we desire to inaugurate among the Priesthood dur- ing the coming year. It is class leadership, and more direct and spe- cific supervision in the Teachers and Deacons' classes. Improvement here may be more difficult than in ward teaching and Priests' organ- ization. But it can be and should be made. It is one of the crying needs of our quorums at the present time. Proper leadership and su- pervision and a better teaching corps in the Priesthood quorums throughout the Church should be our next slogan. Much difficulty is being experienced by the bishops in obtaining the proper material for instructors. There is also great chaos in methods of supervision. We suggest that in every stake of Zion there be appointed a com- mittee from the high council to take supervision of the training of teachers for the Lesser Priesthood quorums; that this training be given by specialists once each month. This should be done by com- petent instructors, who should be filled with the spirit of the gospel, and selected in the various stakes to instruct and prepare class instruc- tors for the quorums. The lessons which the quorums are studying should not, as is now the case in most instances, be made the ends in themselves, but be practically applied, so that the members of each quorum may take active part in the work of the Church. The lesson in itself is of only little use unless it is applied; an emotion is simply an excitement, and is useless unless the sentiments of that emotion are put into active work. Our present method of teaching is often merely intellectual. It ends with knowledge, which in itself, of course, is good, but which, without work, is vain as far as practical results go. The task before us, then, is to provide practical instructors who not only know how to teach the theories and doctrines of the gospel, but who can show the members of the quorums how these theories may be put into practice; how these doctrines may be made applicable to their daily lives. Every instructor should be required to make as- signments of work, so that each member shall have some weekly duty to perform, in which the theories, and the doctrines which he has learned shall be put into practice in his life. This means assignment each week for some useful action, deed or work. It means that the following week these assignments shall be reported in class, where free discussion should follow, and the problems temporal and spiritual that have been met shall be solved practically, and to the satisfaction of the quorum members. To inaugurate and direct in the details of this work, we have the mem- bers of the quorum of the Twelve Apostles, supplemented by efforts of brethren who may be selected by them. These men are competent and anx- ious to instruct the stake presidents and high councilors who, aided by such men as they may select, are competent to put into practice the instruc- tions of the Twelve. The bishops, with the instruction of the stake presidency, and supervising high councilors, and with the help of such men as they may select in every ward, are competent to teach instruc- tors training them in detail how this work may be accomplished. Then it will be the duty of the instructors in these various classes to make assignments, to teach theories, and to hear such reports and in- troduce such discussions as- shall make the members of the class com- petent helpers and workers in the Church. This is the work that should be made the battle cry for Lesser Priesthood quorums for the year to come. PRIESTHOOD QUORUMS' TABLE 651 As far as the Higher Priesthood is concerned, competent men as a rule are placed as leaders in these classes, hut in these quorums also more practical and efficient work may be done, by which more ser- vice, spiritual and temporal, shall be rendered to the people. The Priesthood are the servants of the people, and it is their duty to render the most efficient service in their power to the members of the Church. When we shall have our present large number of 11,450 High Priests; 11,112 Seventies; 27,382 Elders; and 750 Bishops engaged in rendering magnificent temporal and spiritual service to the people and to each other, unitedly teaching not only the theories and doctrines of the gospel, but the practical methods of putting these theories and doc- trines into effect, we shall have service unequaled in the world. Their efforts being aided by the Spirit of the Lord, no power can hinder his blessings from resting upon those who are engaged in this marvelous work among the Latter-day Saints. Our suggestion, then, is better leadership through proper super- vision and training of instructors, more efficient work in the classes, the application of knowledge gained to service among the people, the as- signment of weekly duties to the members, report weekly on such du- ties, free discussion of conditions and problems with a view to render- ing practical aid, spiritual and temporal. Our prayer is, therefore, that the various authorities of the Church named will take these thoughts into consideration and, with the aid that will be rendered them by the general authorities of the Church, execute this work unitedly so that the leadership and service of the Priesthood shall become more efficient. Rudger Clawson, Chairman. David A. Smith, Secretary. Suggestive Outlines for the Deacons HOW SHALL WE MAKE OUR LESSONS INTERESTING? There are two types of pleasant feelings; one naturally follows pursues his self-expression: For example, when a husband and father comfortable vocation with the thought in view of making home more for his wife and children. The other type arises through some of the the eyes being sense organs being stimulated. Such, for example, as drunkard being used on moving pictures or the sense of taste in the but there stimulated with his dram. They do not conflict necessarily, interest. must be pleasure through the first, in order to get legitimate being The individual who gets pleasure only through sense organs Neither does stimulated from without, cannot be said to have interest excites organs for he have interest if he only (through self-activity) awakened in them. Interest is taken through the indi- the pleasure to accomplish. vidual's striving to reach some ideal he desires us turn to With the above brief description of interest in mind, letmcoogny use in class work. To illustrate, sometime ago a boy its with his playmates, came into our class work ™ Two or three visits showed him to be a boy of earnest and honest turn offflfflMJ as his effort warranted diligent in school, but was not as successful The instructor One time the lesson was on the Word of Wisdom the lesson by asking understood the principle of interest, and began get and understand yo ur "Who of you desire to improve your ability to were raised, including the lesson in school?" A number of hands visitor's. "Now I'll read to you a promise made by our Heavenly Father, on condition of our doing certain things." The teacher then read Doc. and Cov. 89:15-18, giving emphasis to verse 16. After some few comments, some wanted to know what those conditions were. Then the instructor read the other part of the Word of Wisdom, mak- ing comment as he proceeded. The point that struck the visitor most forcefully, as he afterwards related, was that pertaining to tea and coftee. At the close of the class-work the instructor said: "Now, if any of you are not keeping these teachings of wisdom, I am going to ask you to observe them for a month and then we'll ask you to report." In three weeks, our visitor related in substance the following: "I went home and asked my parents to let me try to get along for a while without the tea and coffee they had been giving me. They laughed at me and said, 'Oh! you are going to be a "Mormon," are you?' I said, T don't know that I am,' but let me try getting along without the tea and coffee. Pretty soon, they said, 'All right.' Now, I'd like to tell you boys that I am sleeping better and am not so nervous and can study harder." This incident illustrated how an instructor made the Word of Wisdom interesting to boys. The points to be noted are, he learned what the boys had ambitions in, in the sphere of the Word of Wisdom. Then the boys became interested in listening to that revelation and some of them sufficiently interested to put it into practice. Similarly, the boy's ambition to "make the team" in basket-ball, base-ball, and track-events can be used to acquire an interest in know- ing and keeping the Word of Wisdom. It becomes an aid to him in what he has to do. Lesson 17 (Text: The Latter-day Prophet, Chapter XVI) Problem: What course ought a Latter-day Saint to pursue in the midst of persecution? Preparatory to studying the chapter, discuss with the boys what leads to quarrels and fights among them. Give them an opportunity to express themselves as to what they think is right on these matters, also concerning what they should do in persecution. Study the chapter as suggested before. What were the causes for the persecution? What do you think of the justice of these causes? What was done? How did the brethren feel towards their persecutors? What course did the Saints pursue to get redress of grievances? Do you think the Saints took the right course? Why? Compare with the teaching of our Savior to Peter when he wanted to defend Jesus with the sword (Matt. 16:21-28). Tell what the Saints did, as related in this chapter, which shows their course towards their persecutors. Lesson 18 (Chapter XVII) Problem: Same as in Lesson 17. Study the chapter. What was done by the mob? What were the causes? What did the Saints do? Were they justified? Why? Wha. did they do that shows their love of peace? What course did the Saints pursue towards their persecutors? PRIESTHOOD QUORUMS' TABLE 653 Lesson 19 (Chapter XVIII) Problem: Same as Lessons 17 and 18. Study the Chapter. In what peaceable way did the Saints attempt to regain possession of their homes? What was the governor's decision as to their rights to their homes? In what did the Saints fail? Why would they not sell their land? What sign did the Lord give to encourage them and cause their enemies to fear? Compare Matt. 24:29. Compare the attitude of Governor Dunklin and President Andrew Jackson towards the Saints with Pilate's attitude towards our Savior (John 19:4-6). Compare the Saints' course towards their persecutors with the course of our Savior towards his. Read Doctrine and Covenants 101:81-92, Did the Saints comply with those instructions? Show how? Of what great warfare was the Missouri persecutions a continuation? The persecution of our Savior on the earth? Answer the problem of the three last lessens. Of what is the course the Saints took in Missouri an evidence? Lesson 20 (Chapter XIX) Problem: To be doing peaceful works while persecution brings suffering, is an evidence of what? Study the chapter. What was the Prophet doing in and about Kirtland while the Saints were being driven from their homes? Give instances which show his bravery in trouble? What was the most important mission the Prophet was to fill while he lived on the earth? Answer the problem of the lesson. General Annual M. I. A. Conference The June Conference. The M. I. A. annual conference will be held Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, June 11, 12, and 13. Following is the schedule of meetings: he Friday, June 11: First session—9:30 a. m.; 12:30 p. m. Joint. 1 first period (9-30—11) will be devoted to consideration of joint prob- given to lems Assembly Hall. The second period 01—12:30) will be demonstration work along social lines. Deseret Gymnasium. _ Music Second Session— 2. p. m. Preliminary try-outs in contests. section— Assembly Hall. Public speaking section— Bishop s building. Retold story section— 14th Ward Chapel. _ _ Friday Evening— Entertainment for visiting stake orncers _ Saturday, June 12: Separate meetings, 8 p. m.— Grand finals in contests. Assembly Hall. . . Tabernacle. Sundav Tune 13- 10 a. m.— Joint officers meeting. Tabernacle The program 2 p. m. and 7:30 p. m -General meetings. Somi-Weekl) in detail will be published later in the Deseret Daily and CW will prevail. The usual conference rates and time limits