--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Smith, Joseph F. collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 20 number: 2 published: 1916-12 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'Joseph F. Smith, "Editors’ Table: Dress and Social Practices," *Improvement Era* 20, no. 2 (December 1916): 172–178.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera2002unse 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: improvementera2002unse start_page: 172 end_page: 178 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1916-12) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera2002unse 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. --- # Editors’ Table: Dress and Social Practices Dress and Social Practices For months past it has been noted in all parts of the Church that some of the social practices, particularly in matters of dress and dancing, need to be reformed. The subject has come before the Mutual Improvement organizations on many occasions. From time to time strong efforts of various kinds on the part of presiding authorities have been put forth to remedy the evils; and from the pulpit, indecent dressing and unbecoming positions in the dance have been vigorously condemned. Little improvement in this line has been noticed, however. At the June conference of the M. I. A. the subject was discussed both in the meetings of the young men and of the young ladies, and also in one of the joint meetings in the tabernacle, at which the joint social committee of the young people presented a number of excellent rules and regulations for governing their social gatherings which were adopted and printed in the August numbers of the Era and Journal, and later presented and adopted in all the fall conventions. The movement has resulted in much good, and recently the First Presidency were led to take further action that must, if carried out, lead to permanent betterment. They addressed a letter to the General Boards of the Relief Societies, the Young Ladies Mutual Improvement Association, and the Primaries, calling attention to the fact that "there exists a pressing need of improvement and reform among our young people, specifically in the matter of dress, and in their social customs and practices," and asking these boards to take such action as shall create reformation along these lines. A copy of the letter was sent to the General Boards of the Young Men's Mutual Improvement Association and the Deseret Sunday School Union, asking for their cooperation and assistance. A joint committee is at work. With unified plans and a systematic course of action, to be made known from time to time, and all co-operating to accomplish the desired end, good results must follow. We invite every officer, every young man, every young woman, every father and mother to join in the good work, by their influence and example. It was a wise action to place this reform movement under — the immediate charge of the Relief Societies the mothers in Israel. For upon them, the burden of dress reform, at least, if EDITORS' TABLE 173 not of social dancing, must necessarily rest most effectively. They are the managers, the exemplars, in this matter. It is the home influences that, above all others, should direct in moral, social and dress reforms. The home should lead in the work being done by the organizations which are only auxiliary to the home. They exist for the sole reason that it is necessary that the home should be helped in a great measure in the care and education of the children. Schools are instituted to help the home, not to domineer and direct it. But the home must be what it should be, and not as it is in hundreds of cases. It is almost past belief that there should be mothers who take pride in seeing their daughters go dressed immodestly, if not indecently, but there are such mothers, and their actions are astounding if not execrable. We complain that our daughters marry men who are not — worthy of being married in the only right way in the temple. The home is at fault. Our daughters are permitted to mingle with men who are not worthy to go into a temple. We complain that our daughters go, shall I say, half-naked before the public. It is an outrage, and should not be tolerated by Latter-day Saints under any conditions. But the home is at fault again. There is neglect in the home, and the principal part of that neglect, in my opinion, is due to the diregard of the mother, and the crudeness of the care for her daughter. When my little folks were growing up, I was careful to get my family together and to tuck my boys in bed myself, every night, and see that they were at home. I directed, taught, and watched over them from infancy to manhood, until they could act for themselves. If now one of my boys shall go astray, which the Lord forbid, he will do it on his own responsibility. He has no commission from me to do it; neither any permission by my example, or otherwise. It should be the aim of every father and mother in Israel to constantly teach, guard, and carefullv watch, that they may have no apologies to make to the world, nor to any living soul on the earth for the conduct of their children. In this matter of dress and social conduct, then, the mothers, — have a deep responsibility, and their great organization the Relief Society is a fit instrument to bring about reforms by having the mothers make the effort in the homes of the Saints. Let each mother take up the matter in her own home, first. Then, as an officer in her organization, first with herself, then with her neighbor, then with the membership as a whole of that organization. This is a sample for all the auxiliary organizations. Let the officers set the example, or, as Paul says. "Take heed, therefore, to yourselves;" then seek to discipline every member in their own organization to good behavior and decency — "all the flock over which the Holv Ghost hath made von overseers." Joseph F. Smith. 174 IMPROVEMENT ERA How the Mutuals May Help In view of the foregoing writing of President Smith, and also in view of the fact that the Y. M. M. I. Associations have been invited to use their influence towards social reforms, and particularly in the matter of decent conduct in dances, the following excerpt from instructions given to the Superintendents of the Y. M. M. I. A. of the Church, at a noon luncheon, at the late June M. I. A. conference, are pertinent. President Smith points out the duty of the Young Men and Young Ladies also, in this matter, and shows them what they can do to help, and how they may effiectively co-operate with the Church authorities and the home to bring about desired results. Let us all unite in this work and note the good that will come about from our efforts in our holiday recreations, entertainments and dances: "I would say just a few words. Only a little while ago, I had the pleasure of meeting with the General Board of the Young Men's Mutual Improvement Association. We discussed, to some extent, the duties of the Mutual Improvement organizations of the Church, and I believe the general conclusion we reached was that we ought to go to work so that we would be able to discipline every member of a Mutual Improvement organization into good behavior and decency of dress, of conduct in dances, and in public, and in every way; and so educate our Mutual Improvement members that they would not step over the traces, or go beyond the rules of the Mutual Improvement Associations; that they would not go to these dances and participate with those that do not observe the rules of decency; that the Improvement Associations would set the example, and would so fix and determine their actions in regard to rules of decency that they would be an example, a living example, to everybody else. "Now, I think that is one thing, one good thing that we should do in our Mutual Improvement organizations. Every member should be decent himself, and should set an example himself. There is no use of our trying to do anything for others, of an uplifting character, unless we are in an exemplary position ourselves. We cannot save others, unless by our example and teaching we can show them the way to be saved. So, I think that the Mutual Improvement work in this line should be confined largely to the advancement of Mutual Improvement members. All the members of our Young Men's Board should be decent in all that they have to do. That applies also to all the officers and members of our organizations in all the Church. The same thing should apply to the Young Ladies' Association offi- EDITORS' TABLE 175 cers and members, in regard to their asociations with men. They should be careful not to be too free to mingle with men that they do not know; and they should be careful to dress decently, and to avoid coming in contact with men on the dance floor who would not observe the rules that may be established by the — organization, which would be rules of decency and of selfrespect and self-preservation. "I believe that there is a great force that can be brought to bear in that direction, if our Mutual Improvement Associations will take up the work among themselves. In that way they will naturally forge forward in the wards where they live, and in the stakes where they dwell, as leaders in example, and will be chosen by the presidents of stakes and by the bishops as committee men and women to take charge of, or at least to take active and exemplary part in, the amusements of the wards. Thev would thus be looked up to, sought after; and they will be chosen for that purpose, because they are capable and worthy of being chosen." President Francis M. Lyman On Saturday morning, November 18, 1916, Elder Francis M. Lyman, President of the Council of the Twelve, and a member of the quorum since 1880, died at his home in Salt Lake City. He contracted a cold while attending a conference in Box Elder stake on the 12th, and pneumonia set in, resulting in his sudden and unexpected death. As he had often wished he might do, he died in the midst of his work. He even had a conference appointment for the 19th. President Lyman was the eldest son of Amasa M. Lyman, and Louisa Maria Tanner, and was born January 12, 1840, in Goodhope, McDonough Co., Illinois. He was one of the stalwart workers in the Church. His record up to 1860 is truly remarkable. He was frontiersman at birth and babyhood: pioneer and teamster at eight; herdsman and cowboy at eleven: learning a trade at thirteen; traversing the trackless deserts of western America as a leader and captain, at sixteen; married at seventeen; exploring the wilds of Colorado at eighteen; a seventy and missionary at twenty; with farming, attending school, presiding over improvement associations, building pioneer cabins, as incidents thrown in here and there between. Later, in Millard county, after his first foreign mission, he represented his county, as legislator, and besides occupied many religious an 1 civil offices. In January, 1877, after his second mission to England, he was called to preside in Tooele where he took leadership among the people religiously and politically until called to the 176 IMPROVEMENT ERA apoetleahip, October 10, 1880. From thai time on he has been completely devoted to Church work. His travels embrace nearly every city, town and village in the Church, and he has been a familiar figure and speaker in the congregations of the Saints everywhere. In 1883 he filled a remarkable mission to the Indians in the Uintah reservation. In 1901, he was called to preside over the European mission, and while there visited many countries including Russia. President Lyman was a kind friend, a man with a great heart and full of solicitude for the people, individually and as a whole, as well as for his personal friends who now by the thousands mourn for him. If he seemed stern at times, it was because he could not tolerate evil. He was loyal to the cause of God. He was a fighter, where fighting was needed, but his campaigns were conducted under the spirit of love and the inspiration of the Lord. He was a successful adjuster of difficulties, a trusted leader, a true exemplar and counselor, a father indeed among the people, beloved by all. Messages from the Missions Marked Success in St. Louis Elder Spencer W. Kimball, conference president, St. Louis, Missouri, October 13: "The Missouri conference of the Central States mission has a large company of energetic elders and lady missionaries who are working early and late to expound the truths of "Mormonism." Two or three nights each week the voices of the elders are heard on the streets of St. Louis cry- EDITORS' TABLE 177 ing repentance to the passing crowds. Marked success has attended the meetings. Books of Mormon are sold at nearly every meeting. Cottage gatherings are also held and friends are here made of many who were one time enemies. Equally zealous are the elders in the country, sixteen of whom are traveling practically without money. When our new Church is completed with its baptismal font, we look for many new baptisms. The Era, which we eagerly look for each month, is a great help to us in our missionary work. One of my investigators says that the stories and articles are the best she ever had. The names of the laborers follow: "Back row: J. M. Rogers, J. H. Hall, D. W. Neibaur, C. J. Stolworthy, 0. C. Hall, J. A. Filler, 0. Hutchinson, C. W. Hubbard, A. W. Armstrong; middle row: A. D. Hirschi, L. M. Hawkes, Eva Dye, W. E. Thomas, J. L. Tidwell, J. F. Seeley, C. C. Flint, Fern Riches, H. A. Tangren, L. Houtz; front row: A. D. Carter, L. R. Chritchfield, N. J. Wadsworth, Dora Jones, Conference President S. W. Kimball, Nettie Rose, L. H. Brimhall, Edward Christensen, C. N. Sparks; seated in front. L. E. Anderson and B. Rees." Preaching in the Streets Again Elder H. C. Holbrook of Auckland, New Zealand, writes, August 16. "We are putting more elders and more time into European work than has been done here for many years. We are again preaching on the streets. This is the first time we have had this privilege since the elder was killed while street preaching, about twelve years ago. We have not been molested nor disturbed, but the people do not look for religion now, much less for American 'Mormons'!" The L. D. S. Office Force at Chicago Office force, Chicago, left to right, back row: C. L. Cottreil, shipping clerk, Salt Lake City; N. C. Poulsen, mission secretary, Richfield, Utah; D. R. Stone, bookkeeper, Teton, Idaho; Hedwick Borg, Salt Lake City, stenographer; Loretla Merrill, tithing clerk, Richmond, Utah. 178 IMPROVEMENT ERA St.Johns, Arizona; William Parley Mcldrum, Raymond, Canada; and Dan M. Dalton, Manassa, Colorado. Native Maoris as Missionaries Elders M. W. Moody, Masterton, New Zealand, September 12, writes: "This picture represents a number of the Maori brethren who are taking an active part in the promulgation of the gospel among their own people. Left to right, back: Tamati Ihaka, Arapta Te Maori, Elder M. P. Geddes, Stuart Meha, Louis Lenfere, Wia Duncan, William Murphy, George Watene, Joe Brown; middle row: Tamihana TeAweawe, Ratima Pakai, Luxford Peeti, Elders L. J. Decker, M. W. Moody, conference president; J. M. Lambert, mission presidentt; H. A. Hinckley; J. W. Burke; To Ko Te Maari, Takerei Ihaia, Wiremu Duncan, Rangakawea; Lottom row: James Elkington, Tukaraitiana, Henare Pohatu, Niki Paewai, Moni Taurau, Moku Takerei, Wiremurenata, Kaki Matena. They are called out for a term of three months to various villages to visit on the same Sunday each month for three successive months. They hold meetings and preach the gospel to many whom we elders are unable to reach. At the end of each term a quarterly Priesthood conference is held in which the brethren report their labors and they are appointed to another place for the next term. These brethren take great pride and interest in the performance of their calling and look forward to the Priesthood meetings, when they can report their labors. Their anxiety in this respect reminds one very much of the great desire that the four sons of Mosiah had to preach the gospel to their Lamanite brethren. The picture was taken at one of our Priesthood conferences held September 3 in Wairarapa. A very interesting but rare fact about this conference is that the people of this village nearly all belong to other denominations. The chief asked that our conference be held among his people, and he threw open their chapel to us to hold our meetings in. The chapel belongs to the Church of England. The people chose a committee to arrange for the accommodation of the visitors and worked as if they were real Latter-day Saints. Many people were present, both Saints and investigators. We feel that the Lord is blessing us with our labors in this part of the South Sea island? and we hope that in the near future bounteous harvests will be reaped,"