--- 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: 18 number: 8 published: 1915-06 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations, "Priesthood Quorums’ Table," *Improvement Era* 18, no. 8 (June 1915): 742–743.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1808unse 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: improvementera1808unse start_page: 742 end_page: 743 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1915-06) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1808unse 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 Priesthood Quorums' Table Suggestive Outlines for the Deacons BY PROF. P. JOSEPH JENSEN KNOWLEDGE FOR A PURPOSE « When Joseph Smith came to he known many the testimony of honest men were greatly impressed. The thought that the Lord had spoken from heaven, and was willing to give knowledge to man on the earth for his guidance, induced many to inquire of the Lord, through the Latter-day Prophet. Among others who thus sought for knowledge were John and Peter Whitmer, who each asked, "What can I do that will be of most worth to me?" Such a desire illustrates the acquiring of knowledge for a purpose. So it is with every boy in the deacons' quorums. He is interested in acquiring knowledge that will aid him to realize his desires. It is likely that some do not have, as yet, the very exalted desire of the Whitmers, but it can be acquired. It should be the aim of the instructor to discover in the boys of his quorum desires closest of kin to the religious principle he has to make clear. Let the desire of the boy be the starting point, rather than the principle to be taught. Enlighten his mind with pure knowl- egde, through satisfying the discovered desire. We ought not to assume that the desire to go on a mission ten years from now, for example, is sufficiently strong to impel him to study difficult subject matter now. What we must get hold of are those interests which influence his actions today. And if they are not the exact kind wanted, nevertheless, use and develop them into what is approved. Lesson 21 (Text: The Latter-day Prophet, Chapter XX) Problem: What are the results of defiance and rebellion against the purposes of the Lord? What have you seen as a result of children rebelling against their parents? Their teachers? Study the Chapter. What was the purpose of the organization of Zion's Camp? With what miraculous events did the Lord encourage the united ef- forts of the Camp? What punishment did he predict would befall disunity and rebellion? In what ways did the mob and individuals of the mob defy the purpose of the Camp? What resulted to individuals of the mob in connection with their defiance of the purpose of the Camp? What lesson does Mr. Campbell's defiance of the purposes of the Lord teach? Lesson 22 (Chapter XXI) Problem: Same as in lesson 21. Review last lesson. Study the chapter. What lesson did the mob learn in trying to stop the purposes of theCamp? What was Col. Sconce's conclusion? How did the Lord punish the Camp because of rebellion in it? Read H. C. Kim- ball's account of the punishment. See Life of H. C. Kimball, (Whitney, PRIESTHOOD QUORUMS' TABLE 743 pp. 72-76.) Compare these incidents with the great event of the Jews taking the life of our Savior to stop his work. What does it mean then to defy and rebel against the purposes of the Lord? Lesson 23 (Chapter XXII) Problem: What plan did the Lord adopt to make complete the organization of his Church? Name the several different quorums of the Priesthood. When did the Prophet Joseph receive his first vision? How long after this event did the organization of the Church take place? Study the chapter. How was the first quorum of apostles chosen in our day? When? The first quorum of seventy? When? Why was their organization postponed so long? What is the purpose of each quorum? Answer the problem. What lesson does this plan of the Lord teach us? Lesson 24 (Chapter XXIII) Problem: How did Joseph Smith become an educated man? Generally, how do men become educated? What is the highest degree a student may obtain at a university? Study the chapter. What opportunities did Joseph Smith, as a boy, have for learn- ing? Name the heavenly beings who taught Joseph Smith. What books did he translate? Of what books did he correct the translation? What books, by means of revelation, did he write? Answer the problem. We must acknowledge that Joseph Smith had the rarest oppor- tunity for education that any man in our day has had. Ward Teaching — Ward Teaching. From a compilation of the reports in the Pre- siding Bishop's Office it appears that during the three months ending March 31, 1915, the following wards in the stakes named show that 100 per cent of the people were visited by the teachers: Alberta: Leavitt, Taylor; Bear Lake: Lanark, Liberty; Bear River: East Garland, Elwood, Penrose, Riverside, Tremonton; Beaver: Mil- ford; Benson: Lewiston 3rd; Big Horn: Byron; Blackfoot: Riverside; Box Elder Brigham 2nd, 3rd, Honeyville, Harper, Mantua, Park Valley, : Rosette, Perry; Davis: West Layton, West Point; Emery: Emery, Ferron Ensign: 20th, 21st; Fremont: Sugar; Liberty: Liberty, 1st, 2nd, 8th, 9th, 10th, 33rd, Emigration, Le Grande; Malad: Portage; Maricopa: Chand- ler; Millard: Meadow; Morgan: Porterville, Richville; Nebo: Knights- ville; North Sanpete: Milburn, Moroni, Spring City; North Weber: Farr West; Ogden Eden, Huntsville, Liberty, Middleton, North Og- : den, 4th, 5th, 6th, Pleasant View; Oneida: all the wards; Panguitch : Kingston; Pioneer: Brighton; St. George: Gunlock, Springdale; St. Johns: Bluewater; St. Joseph: Central, Lebanon; Salt Lake: 14th, 22nd, 24th, 28th, Center, North Point ; Sevier Annabella, Sigurd : ; Taylor : Grassy Lake; Teton: Cache, Valview ; Utah: Lakeview, Springville 2nd, Timpanogas; Weber: Hooper, Kanesville, Ogden 5th, 12, Roy, Uintah; Yellowstone: Olive Branch, Parker, Sarilda Branch, Twin Groves; Young: Burnham, Redmesa. This shows that out of the 739 wards in the Church, there were 110 that secured 100% in ward teaching, during the quarter, and that 35 stakes out of 67 contained wards where all the people were visiter1 by teachers each month.