--- 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: 19 number: 10 published: 1916-08 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations, "The Father and the Son," *Improvement Era* 19, no. 10 (August 1916): 934–945.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera19010unse 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: improvementera19010unse start_page: 934 end_page: 945 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1916-08) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera19010unse publication_year: 1916 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 1916, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # The Father and the Son The Father and the Son A Doctrinal Exposition by The First Presidency and The Tzvelve The scriptures plainly and repeatedly affirm that God is the Creator of the earth and the heavens and all things that in them are. In the sense so expressed, the Creator is an Organizer. God created the earth as an organized sphere but He certainly did not ; create, in the sense of bringing into primal existence, the ultimate elements of the materials of which the earth consists, for "the ele- ments are eternal" (Doc. & Cov. 93:33). So also life is eternal, and not created; but life, or the vital force, may be infused into organized matter, though the details of the process have not been revealed unto man. For illustrative instances see Genesis 2 :7 Moses 3 :7 and Abraham 5 :7 ; ; Each . of these scriptures states that God breathed into the body of man the breath of life. See further Moses 3 :19, for the statement that God breathed the breath of life into the bodies of the beasts and birds. God showed unto Abraham "the intelligences that were o r ganized before the world was" and by "intelligences" we are ; to understand personal "spirits" (Abraham 3:22, 23) neverthe- ; less, we are expressly told that "Intelligence" that is, "the light of truth was not created or made, neither indeed can be" (Doc. & Cov. 93:29). The term "Father" as applied to Deity occurs in sacred writ with plainly different meanings. Each of the four significations specified in the following treatment should be carefully segre- gated. 1. "FATHER" AS LITERAL PARENT Scriptures embodying the ordinary signification — literally that of Parent —are too numerous and specific to require citation. The purport of these scriptures is to the effect that God the Eternal Father, whom we designate by the exalted name-title "Elohim," is the literal Parent of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and of the spirits of the human race. Elohim is the Father in every sense in which Jesus Christ is so designated, and dis- tinctively He is the Father of spirits. Thus we read in the Epistle to the Hebrews : "Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh EDITORS' TABLE 935 which corrected us, and we gave them reverence shall we not ; much rather be in subjection unto the Father. of spirits, and live?" (Hebrews 12:9). In view of this fact we are taught by Jesus Christ to pray: "Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name." Jesus Christ applies to Himself both titles, "Son" an 1 "Father." Indeed, He specifically said to the brother of fared: "Behold, I am Jesus Christ. I am the Father and the Son" (Ether 3:14). Tesus Christ is the Son of Elohim both as spiritual and bodily offspring; that is to say, Elohim is literally the Father of the spirit of Jesus Christ and also of the body in which Tesus Christ performed His mission in the flesh, and which body died on the cross and was afterward taken up by the process of resur- rection, and is now the immortalized tabernacle of the eternal spirit of our Lord and Savior. No extended explanation of the title "Son of God" as applied to Jesus Christ appears necessary. 2. "father" as creator A second scriptural meaning of "Father" is that of Creator, e. passages referring to any one of the Godhead as "The g. in Father of the heavens and of the earth and all things that in them are" (Ether 4:7; see also Alma 11:38, 39 and Mosiah 15:4). God is not the Father of the earth as one of the worlds in space, nor of the heavenly bodies in whole or in part, nor of the inanimate objects and the plants and the animals upon the earth, in the literal sense in which He is the Father of the spirits of mankind. Therefore, scriptures that refer to God in any way as the Father of the heavens and the earth are to be understood as signifying that God is the Maker, the Organizer, the Creator of the heavens and the earth. With this meaning, as the context shows in every case, Je- hovah, who is Jesus Christ the Son of Elohim, is called "the Father", and even "the very eternal Father of heaven and of earth" (see passages before cited, and also Mosiah 16:15). With analogous meaning Jesus Christ is called "The Everlasting Father" (Isaiah 9:6; compare 2 Nephi 19:6). The descriptive titles "Everlasting" and "Eternal" in the foregoing texts are synonymous. That Jesus Christ, whom we also know as Jehovah, was the executive of the Father, Elohim, in the work of creation is set forth in the book "Jesus the Christ" Chapter 4. Jesus Christ, be- ing the Creator, is consistently called the Father of heaven and earth in the sense explained above and since His creations are ; of eternal quality He is very properly called the Eternal Father of heaven and earth. ; 936 IMPROVEMENT ERA 3. JESUS CHRIST THE "FATHER" OF THOSE WHO ABIDE IN HIS GOSPEL A third sense in which Jesus Christ is regarded as the "Father" has reference to the relationship between Him and those who accept His Gospel and thereby become heirs of eternal life. Following are a few of the scriptures illustrating this meaning. In the fervent prayer offered just prior to His entrance into Gethsemane, Jesus Christ supplicated His Father in behalf of those whom the Father had given unto Him, specifically the apostles, and, more generally, all who would accept and abide in the Gospel through the ministry of the apostles. Read in our Ford's own words the solemn affirmation that those for whom He particularly prayed were His own, and that His Father had given them unto Him: "I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world thine they were, and thou : gavest them me and they have kept thy word. Now they have ; known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee. For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me and ; they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me. I pray for them I pray not for the worl'l, but for them which thou hast : given me for they are thine. And all mine are thine, and thine ; are mine and I am glorified in them. And now I am no more in ; the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one as we are. While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition that the scripture might be fulfilled" (John 17:6-12). And further "Neither pray I for these alone, but for them : also which shall believe on me through their word That they all ; may be one as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they ; also may be one in us that the world may believe that thou hast : sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them that they may be one, even as we are one I in them, and ; : thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one and that the ; world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am that they may behold my ; glory, which thou hast given me for thou lovedst me before the : foundation of the world" (John 17:20-24). To His faithful servants in the present dispensation the Lord has said : "Fear not, little children, for you are mine, and I have overcome the world, and vou are of them that my Father hath given me" (Doc. & Cov. 50:41). Salvation is attainable only through compliance with the EDITORS' TABLE 937 laws and ordinances of the Gospel and all who are thus saved ; become sons and daughters unto God in a distinctive sense. In a revelation given through Joseph the Prophet to Emma Smith the Lord Jesus addressed the woman as "My daughter," and said: "for verily I say unto you, all those who receive my gospel are sons and daughters m my kingdom" (Doc. & Cov. 25:1). In many instances the Lord has addressed men as His sons (e. g Doc. & Cov. 9:1; 34:3; 121:7). That by obedience to the Gospel men may become sons of God, both as sons of Jesus Christ, and, through Him, as sons of His Father, is set forth in many revelations given in the current dispensation. Thus we read in an utterance of the Lord Jesus Christ to Hyrum Smith in 1829: "Behold, I am Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I am the life and the light of the world. I am the same who came unto my own and my own received me not But ; verily, verily, I say unto you, that as many as receive me. to them will I give power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on my name. Amen." (Doc. & Cov. 11:28-30). To Orson Pratt the Lord spoke through Joseph the Seer, in 1830: "My son Orson, hearken and hear and behold what I, the Lord God, shall say unto you, even Jesus Christ your Redeemer; The light and the life of the world a light which shineth in darkness ; and the darkness comprehendeth it not; Who so loved the world that he gave his own life, that as many as would believe might become the sons of God: wherefore you are my son" (Doc. & Cov. 34:1-3). In 1830 the Lord thus addressed Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigclon : "Listen to the voice of the Lord your God, even Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, whose course is one eternal round, the same today as yesterday, and for ever. I am Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who was crucified for the sins of the world, even as many as will believe on my name, that they may become the sons of God, even one in me as I am in the Father, as the Father is one in me, that we may be one" (Doc. & Cov. 35:1-2). Consider also the following given in 1831: "Hearken and listen to the voice of him who is from all eternity to all eternity, the Great I Am, even Jesus Christ, The light and the life of the world a light which shineth in darkness and the dark- ; ness comprehendeth it not The same which came in the meridian : of time unto my own, and my own received me not; But to as many as received me, gave I power to become my sons, and even so will I give unto as many as will receive me, power to become mv sons" (Doc. & Cov. 39:1-4). In a revelation given through Toseph Smith in March, 1831 we read "For verily I say unto ycu : that I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the light — and the life of the world a light that shineth in darkness and the darkness comprehendeth it not. I came unto my own, and my own received me not but unto as many as received me, gave I ; 938 IMPROVEMENT ERA power to do many miracles, and to become the sons of God, and even unto them that believed on my name gave I power to obtain eternal life" (Doc. & Cov. 45 :7-8). A forceful exposition of this relationship between Jesus Christ as the Father and those who comply with the requirements of the Gospel as His children was given by Abinadi, centuries be- fore our Lord's birth in the flesh "And now I say unto you, : Who shall declare his generation? Behold, I say unto you, that when his soul has been made an offering for sin, he shall see his seed. And now what say ye? And who shall be his seed? Be- hold I say unto you, that whosoever has heard the words of the prophets, yea, all the holy prophets who have prophesied concern- ing the coming of the Lord I say unto you, that all those who ; have hearkened unto their words, and believed that the Lord would redeem his people, and have looked forward to that day for a remission of their sins I say unto you, that these are his ; seed, or they are the heirs of the kingdom of God For these are : they whose sins he has borne these are they for whom he has ; died, to redeem them from their transgressions. And now, are they not his seed ? Yea, and are not the prophets, every one that has opened his mouth to prophesy, that has not fallen into trans- gression I mean all the holy prophets ever since the world began ? ; I say unto you that they are his seed" (Mosiah 15:10-13). In tragic contrast with the blessed state of those who become children of God through obedience to the Gospel of Jesus Christ is that of the unregenerate, who are specifically called the children of the devil. Note the words of Christ, while in the flesh, to certain wicked Jews who boasted of their Abrahamic lineage "If : ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham. . . Ye do the deeds of your father. . ... If God were your Father, ye would love me. .Ye are of your father . . the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do" (John 8 :39, 41, 42, 44). Thus Satan is designated as the father of the wicked, though we cannot assume any personal relationship of parent and children as existing between him and them. A combined illustra- tion showing that the righteous are the children of God and the wicked the children of the devil appears in the parable of the Tares "The good seed are the children of the kingdom but the : ; tares are the children of the wicked one" (Matt. 13:38). Men may become children of Jesus Christ by being born — anew born of God, as the inspired word states "He that com- : mitteth sin is of the devil for the devil sinneth from the begin- ; ning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin for his seed remaineth in him and he cannot ; : sin, because he is born of God. In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil Whosoever doeth not : EDITORS' TABLE 939 Righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother" (I John 3:8-10). Those who have been born unto God through obedience to the Gospel may by valiant devotion to righteousness obtain exalta- tion and even reach the status of Godhood. Of such we read: "Wherefore, as it is written, they are Gods, even the sons of God" (Doc. & Cov. 76:58; compare 132:20, and contrast para- graph 17 in same section; see also paragraph 37). Yet, though they be Gods they are still subject to Jesus Christ as their Father in this exalted relationship and so we read in the paragraph fol- ; lowing the above quotation: "and they are Christ's and Christ is God's" (76:59). — — By the new birth that of water and the Spirit mankind may become children of Jesus Christ, being through the means by Him provided "begotten sons and daughters unto God" (Doc. & Cov. 76:24). This solemn truth is further emphasized in the words of the Lord Jesus Christ given through Joseph Smith in 1833 : "And now, verily I say unto you, I was in the beginning with the Father, and am the firstborn And all those who are be- ; gotten through me are partakers of the glory of the same, and are the church of the firstborn" (Doc. & Cov. 93:21, 22). For such figurative use of the term "begotten" in application to those who are born unto God see Paul's explanation: "for in Christ Jesus T have begotten you through the gospel" (I Cor. 4:15). An analogous instance of sonship attained by righteous service is found in the revelation relating to the order and functions of Priesthood, given in 1832: "For whoso is faithful unto the ob- taining these two Priesthoods of which I have spoken, and the magnifying their calling, are sanctified by the Spirit unto the re- newing of their bodies They become the sons of Moses and of : Aaron and the seed of Abraham, and the' church and kingdom, and the elect of God" (Doc. & Cov. 84:33, 34). If it be proper to speak of those who accept and abide in the — Gospel as Christ's sons and daughters and upon this matter the scriptures are explicit and cannot be gainsaid nor denied — it is consistently proper to speak of Jesus Christ as the Father of the righteous, they having become His children and He having been — made their Father through the second birth the baptismal re- generation. 4. JESUS CHRIST THE "FATHER" BY DIVINE INVESTITURE OF AUTHORITY A fourth reason for applying the title "Father" to Jesus Christ is found in the fact that in all His dealings with the human family Jesus the Son has represented and yet represents Elohim His Father in power and authority. This is true of Christ in His : 940 IMPROVEMENT ERA |>reexistent, antemortal, or unembodicd slate, in the which He was known as Jehovah also during His embodiment in the flesh; and ; during His labors as a disembodied spirit in the realm of the dead and since that period in His resurrected state. To the Jews ; He said: "I and my Father are one" (John 10:30) see also ; 17:11, 22). yet He declared "My Father is greater than I" (John ; 14:28) and further, "I am come in my Father's name" (John ; 5:43; see also 10:25). The same truth was declared by Christ Himself to the Nephites (see 3 Nephi 20:35 and 28:10), and has been reaffirmed by revelation in the present dispensation (Doc. & Cov. 50:43). Thus the Father placed His name upon the Son ; and Jesus Christ spoke and ministered in and through the Fath- er's name and so far as power, authority and Godship are con- ; cerned His words and acts were and are those of the Father. We read, by way of analogy, that God placed His name upon or in the Angel who was assigned to special ministry unto the people of Israel during the exodus. Of that Angel the Lord said "Beware of him, and obey his voice, provoke him not for he will ; not pardon your transgressions for my name is in him" ( Exodus ; 23:21). The ancient apostle, John, was visited by an angel who min- istered and spoke in the name of Jesus Christ. As we read "The : Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants thing's which must shortly come to pass and ; he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John" (Revelation 1:1). John was about to worship the angelic being who spoke in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, but was for- bidden "And I John saw these things, and heard them. And : when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which showed me these things. Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellow-servant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God" (Rev. 22:8, 9). And then the angel continued to speak as though he were the Lord Himself "And, : behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. T am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last" (verses 12, 13). The resurrected Lord, Jesus Christ, who had been exalted to the right hand of God His Father, had placed His name upon the angel sent to John, and the angel spoke in the first person, say- ing "I come quickly," "I am Alpha and Omega," though he meant that Jesus Christ would come, and that Jesus Christ was Alpha and Omega. None of these considerations, however, can change in the leastdegree the solemn fact of the literal relationship of Father and Son between Elohim and Jesus Christ. Among the spirit :: EDITORS' TABLE 941 children of Elohim the firstborn was and is Jehovah or Jesus Christ to whom all others are juniors. Following are affirmative scriptures bearing upon this great truth. Paul, writing to the Colossians, says of Jesus Christ: "Who is the image of the in- visible God, the firstborn of every creature: For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principali- ties, or powers all things were created by him, and for him ; And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. And he is the head of the body, the church :who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead that in all things he might have the pre- ; eminence. For it pleased the Father that in him should all full- ness dwell" (Colossians 1:15:19). From this scripture we learn that Jesus Christ was "the firstborn of every creature" and it is evident that the seniority here expressed must be with respect to antemortal existence, for Christ was not the senior of all mortals in the flesh. He is further designated as "the firstborn from the dead" this having reference to Him as the first to be resurrecte 1 from the dead, or as elsewhere written "the first fruits of them that slept" (I Corinthians 15:20. see also verse 23 ); and "the first begotten of the dead" (Revelation 1:5; compare Acts 26:23). The writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews affirms the status of Jesus Christ as the firstborn of the spirit children of His Father, and extols the preeminence of the Christ when taber- nacled in flesh: "And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegot- ten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him" (Hebrews 1:6; read the preceding verses). That the spirits who were juniors to Christ were predestined to be born in the image of their Elder Brother is thus attested by Paul "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his pur- pose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren" (Romans 8:28, 29). John the Revelator was commanded to write to the head of the Laodicean church, as the words of the Lord Jesus Christ "These things saith the : Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation s of God" (Revelation 3:14 ). In the course of a revelation given through Joseph Smith in May, 1833, the Lord Jesus Christ said as before cited "And now, verily I say unto you, T was in the be- ; ginning with the Father, and am the firstborn" (Doc. & Cov. 93 :21 ) . A later verse makes plain the fact that human beings generally were similarly existent in spirit state prior to their em- bodiment in the flesh "Ye were also in the beginning with the : Father that which is Spirit, even the Spirit of truth" (verse 23). ; There is no impropriety, therefore, in speaking of Jesus Christ as the Elder Brother of the rest of human kind. That he 942 IMPROVEMENT ERA is by spiritual birth Brother to the rest of us is indicated in He- brews : "Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people" (Hebrews 2:17). Let it not be forgotten, however, that He is essentially greater than any and all others, by reason (1) of His seniority as the oldest or firstborn; (2) of His unique status in the flesh as the offspring of a mortal mother and of an immortal, or resurrected and glorified, Father; (3) of His selection and foreordination as the one and only Redeemer and Savior of the race; and (4) of His transcendent sinlessness. Jesus Christ is not the Father of the spirits who have taken or yet shall take bodies upon this earth, for He is one of them. He is The Son, as they are sons or daughters of Elohim. So far as the stages of eternal progression and attainment have been made known through divine revelation, we are to understand that only resurrected and glorified beings can become parents of spirit offspring. Only such exalted souls have reached maturity in the appointed course of eternal life and the spirits born to them in the ; eternal worlds will pass in due sequence through the several stages or estates by which the glorified parents have attained exaltation. The First Presidency and the Council of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter- day Saints. SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH, JUNE 30, 1916 We Stand for State- and Nation- Wide Prohibition One way to stand for our slogan is to see that no man who repre- sents "The Greater Utah Business League" shall be sent to any con- vention in any party. The "League" leaders are merely liquor lobby- ists and brewery agents. They sail under false colors, and while pre- tending to be anxious for the business interests of the state, their true purpose is to gain control of the primaries and the county and state conventions, so that they may dictate the nomination of tools who shall do their bidding for the business interests of liquor, in the execu- and judicial, offices tive, legislative, and, as far as possible, in the legal Our duty and that of the'state, as well as in the counties of the state. of our friends is to be at the party primaries perpared to thwart their schemes by presenting and electing men who will truly represent the people, and stand for real business by abolishing through legislative action the sale and manufacture of liquor of all kinds. Speaking of business, telling fa'cts come through the press from Kansas, whose business condition the liquor interests are constantly advertising in an adverse manner. The fact remains that on January 1, 1916, Kansas paid off the last vestige of its bonded indebtedness, and the following quotation from Governor Capper's address on that date, is given in "Collier's": — EDITORS' TABLE 943 "Our per capita wealth of $1,630 is greater than that of anv other State and twice as high as that of the United States as a whole. It fives us a total of $2,884,624,600 of taxable wealth, an increase of $79,000,000 the past year, and enables us to maintain a state tax rate of $1.25 on a thousand, lower than that of any other state, with one exception. Our bank deposits of $224,110,576 are the largest pjr capita of any state, an increase of $23,000,000 in the year 1915. Our 74,000 automobiles give us one car to every sixth family, a record equaled by only two other states. One family out of every five has a telephone, the largest percentage of anv state. Our farm products in 1915 were $341,561,000. Our live stock is valued at $310,655,000. We produced $325,- 000,000 of manufactured products in 1915. The business interests of Utah will not suffer from the adoption of prohibition, but, on the other hand, will be accelerated by leaps and bounds. No one should be fooled by the wails of the liquor interests to the contrary, nor by business men who are immediate beneficiaries of the liquor interests. Books Forbes & Company have just issued a book of poems entitled, "Including You and Me," by Strickland Gililan, the famous author of the popular railway telegram entitled, "Off agin, on agin, gone agin — Finnigin." The bookis full of popular, humorous verses of the kind. The poems tend to big-hearted and sympathetic consideration for life. There are laughter, philosophy, sentiment, and a spirit of kindness and charity in Mr. Gililan's poems that savor of the right attitude towards life. In the preface he says: "Now I haven't just tried to be 'funny', And I haven't just tried to be 'smart', Nor yet is it only for money 'Tis largely a matter of heart! Long after the laughter has ended, Years after the income is spent, May the laughs and the loves I have blended Still deepen some human's content." The price is $1.00, at the book stores. "The Women of the Bible," a book by Professor Willard Done, treats of the women that have gained prominence in the scriptures, delineating their character and setting forth their virtues and' fail- ings. The spirit of the book is excellent. It has many touching inci- dents that go to show the strength and the fortitude, the sacrifices and the splendid character of the women who took part in the affairs of Israel in ancient days. The Relief Society has adopted it for les- son work; price 75c. Messages from the Missions Not Bigoted But Indifferent Elder Jesse J. McQueen, Hobart, Tasmania: "The work of the Lord here is progressing under the direction of Elder Ivin E. Chard. New friends are being added to our list of investigators daily. Elders Omni A. Porter and Albert A. Hewlett have opened a branch at Launceston which was closed in November, 1914, on account of not enough elders. They report a great interest in the work. There are 944 IMPROVEMENT ERA many friends here who are investigating. We are blessed with a good Sunday School and Mutual Improvement organization. Our meetings are well attended. We hold street meetings Friday and Sunday nights which are very seldom molested and usually attended by a good crowd of listeners. The people here as a rule are not bigoted but rather indif- ferent. We feel, however, that there never was a time when the pros- pect for the advancement of the cause of the Lord looked brighter than today. The Era is read with very great interest among the manj investigators, and we are always pleased to receive our home Church periodicals both for the home news and for the instructions contained in their pages. Elders, left to right, standing: Hyrum E. Miller, Har- riman, Utah; Jesse J. McQueen, Preston; front: Omni Porter, Poca- tello, Idaho; Irvin E. Chard. Liberty, Utah; Albert E. Hewlett, Poca- tello, Idaho." Affairs in East Texas Elder David Harris, president of the East Texas conference, Dallas, Texas, April 7: "A recent trip by John T. Gilbert and myself EDITORS' TABLE 945 through the conference resulted in our meeting many friends and Saints. Many of the Saints are doing a great work in teaching the gospel to their neighbors who are very anxious to see the elders and hear more concerning it. We met also many strangers who had never heard the first principles of the gospel before. After spending a few days in the community holding meetings and teaching the gospel we found members in three families who applied for baptism. Elders Leonard Abraham and Horace N. Hunsaker have labored in Lamar county with considerable success, holding meetings in the country schoolhouses. A Methodist church was thrown open to the elders to preach in at any time. They report one baptism. Elder Thomas K. Gunnell reports two baptisms. The conference as a whole is in excel- lent condition and we have many investigators. Thomas K. Gunnell, Ernest Orr, Henry M. Zollinger, Milton E. Johnson and Lorenzo Roskelly have recently arrived in our conference. Elder John T. Gilbert has been released to return home. He is one of our strongest elders. The elders are working hard and pressing on with a greater determination than ever before. Elders left to right: back row, Ray D. Gardner, Rexburg, Idaho; Lorenzo Roskelly, Smithfield, Utah; Thomas K. Gunnell, Alexander, Idaho; Milton E. Johnson, Moab, Utah; George H. Walker, Lewisville, Idaho; Henry M. Zollinger, Providence, Utah; Ernest Orr, Orton, Alta., Canada; front row: Elmo Howard, Carey, Idaho; Grover A. Hansen, Ephraim, Utah; John E. Huber, Chandler, Arizona; David Harris, Glendale, Utah; John T. Gilbert, Manassa, Colorado; Horace N. Hunsaker, Honeyville; Leon- ard Abraham, Kanosh, Utah." Members Presented with the Red Cross Badge James D. Johnston, Glasgow, Scotland, May 11: "These are the officers of the Glasgow branch Relief Society, left to right: Mary Hunter, first counselor; Annie Gallacher, secretary and. treasurer; Isa- bella Blake, president; Jeanie Glass, second counselor. No other aux- iliary organization of the Church in Scotland has made such encour- aging progress as the Relief Society. Under the efficient direction of these faithful sisters the Society has not only succeeded in car- ing for our own poor and needy, but it has also supplied hundreds of articles of clothing for the soldiers. Dur- ing the year 1915, many letters were received by its officers from those in charge of the Red Cross work in Scotland, in which the sisters were highly commended for the su- perior quality of their contributions. These only served as an impetus toward greater efforts, and as a result the Society was on November 1, 1915, officially admitted into the Scottish branch of the British Red Cross Society. Each of the sisters has been presented with the official Red Cross badge, and they feel encouraged to think that their efforts are being recognized and appreciated. They have been blessed of the Lord in their labors and the good wishes of all interested in the work of the Lord in Scotland are with them,"