--- 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: 20 number: 7 published: 1917-05 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations, "Mutual Work," *Improvement Era* 20, no. 7 (May 1917): 658–661.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera2007unse 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: improvementera2007unse start_page: 658 end_page: 661 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1917-05) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera2007unse publication_year: 1917 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 1917, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # Mutual Work MUTUAL WORK Annual M. I. A. Conference The following excellent thoughts were given by Elder Thomas Hull, one of the speakers at the Y. M. M. I. A. special officers' meeting, Sunday, October 8, 8:30 a. m. Read them carefully: I. What is a Conference? A meeting for consultation, discussion or instruction, an interview or interchange of opinions. — Century Dictionary. Our M. I. A. Conference will be held Friday, Saturday and Sunday, June 8, 9 and 10, with a Boy Scout and Bee-Hive Girl Demonstra- tion on Thursday evening. Let us make it indeed "a meeting for consultation, discussion, and instruction." Every stake board and each association should have at least one representative in attend- ance. Rates will begin early enough to bring all who attend, from all points into the city on Thursday, June 7, in time to spend the day in Salt Lake City and then attend the Scout Demonstra- tion in the evening. The Church schools will affiliate with us this year. The schedule of meetings will be as follows: Thursday evening — Scout Demonstration. Friday morning — Opening joint officers' meeting. At 2 p. m., Boy Scout and Bee-Hive Girls meetings; at 4 p.m., tryouts in the public speaking contest. Evening — Social to stake officers. Saturday morning — Separate officers meetings. Saturday afternoon — Joint meeting of Y. M. and Y. L. M. I. A. offi- cers with Church school teachers. Saturday evening — Finals in public speaking contest. Sunday morning — Separate officers' meeting. Sunday afternoon and evening — Public meetings in the Tabernacle. II. Why Should You Be There? 1. To show your interest in the work. 2. To meet your fellow workers and M. I. A. friends from all over the Church, and to secure the M. I. A. spirit and polish which comes from such contact. 3. To get, at first hand, the instruction you need for successful per- formance of your work. 4. To compare your experiences with others and get the benefit of their experiences and so adopt their successful methods and avoid their mistakes. 5. To secure down to date information and equipment for your work. III. What Should You Do Before You Come? 1. Have all your associations fully organized, your officers and lead- ers selected and appointed at your closing meeting, or if you did not hold such a closing meeting, then call upon the bishops and, with their co-operation and counsel, do this work. A few weeks before the date of these closing meetings a let- ter, signed by President Heber J. Grant, was sent to all the Stake Presidents, asking them to request the Bishops, so far as possi- ble, to have these officers selected and sustained at the closing meeting. A copy of this letter was sent to each of our stake su- MUTUAL WORK 659 perintendents. Make use of these letters, if the work has not already been done. Take your copy with you and visit the bish- ops and get them to carry out its suggestions. 2. Make arrangements to have at least one representative from every ward in your stake at the conference, and also have as many of your stake board members there as possible. 3. See to it that you are prepared intelligently to represent your stake and report its condition. IV. What Should You Bring with You? 1. Enthusiasm. 2. The consciousness that you have come with a definite purpose to absorb all there is to learn at the meetings and by association with the workers, and so, to eqrip yourself the more perfectly to perform your work and bless your community. 3. A desire to learn yourself and help others. V. What Should You Do When You Come? 1. Attend all the meetings. Do not forget that you have come, first of all to represent your associations and stakes and to attend to their business. 2. Take an active interest in all proceedings; not merely as a lis- tener, but also as a participant. Come prepared to give as well as take — absorb and radiate. VI. What is Your Personal Value to the Conference? 1. The inspiration of your presence. It is helpful to all to see you all; then, "In the multitude of counsel there is wisdom." 2. The testimony of your presence. Your presence testifies that you believe not only in M. I. A. work but in the divinity of the mis- sion of the Prophet Joseph Smith, and of the Great Work he founded. 3. The joy you bring to the leaders. Your interest and earnestness is the reward and recompense for their labors. VII. What Should You do when You Return? 1. Begin at once to plan for the coming active season — for the con- vention, etc. 2. Introduce and carry out, during the summer — four months — such suggestions as you have received at the conference for summer work, as shall best suit your conditions, plus your own ideas. 3. Call your workers together — officers, class teachers, scout leaders, vocation counselors, etc., and report to and discuss with them the work and spirit of the conference. In other words, hold a little conference with them. 4. Keep busy so that you will be fresh and "fit" when the regular season opens. 5. Having sought and obtained the spirit of the conference, carry it home and disseminate it throughout your stake. See that at least every officer shall be given an opportunity to imbibe it. Suggestive Programs, Sunday Evening, Summer Joint Sessions, M. I. A. The General Boards offer the following programs, on the general topic "America," for use in the Sunday evening joint meetings of the associations. Each program may be used as a separate unit, but the result should be more effective if they are presented as a series, and the audience made to appre- ciate this fact. It is suggested that as far as possible, home talent be used: I. The Land of Promise — America. (For May.) 660 IMPROVEMENT ERA a. America a Promised Land (Book of Mormon, 1 Nephi 2:20; 4:14; 5:5; 6:22; 7:1; 13; 18; 22; 23; 10:13; 2 Nephi 1:3; 5-8. b. Discovery and settlement by Europeans. Prophecy thereof (1 Ne- phi 13:10-15). Columbus, the Pilgrim Fathers (American History). c. A new and mighty nation. Prophecies of the rise of the United States, its protection by Divine power from all other nations, and the nature of its government. "A land of liberty" (1 Nephi 13: 16-19; 22:7; 11 Nephi 10:10-14,19). d. People free from kingly oppression. No kingly rule. A govern- ment of and by the people. Divine approval of this form of gov- ernment (1 Nephi 10:11; Doc. and Cov. 58:8; 101:77). e. Statue of "Liberty Enlightening the World." Significance of the monument. Declamation — "The Landing of the Pilgrim Fathers" — Mrs. Hemans. Declamation- — Opening and closing paragraphs of the Declaration of Independence. Reading — "O Saints, Have You Seen" (L. D. S. Hymn Book, p. 70). II. American Inventors and their Work. (For June.) a. The spirit of mechanical invention stronger in America than in any other land. b. Many of the most useful inventions have originated and have been perfected in America. c. American inventions are characterized by their usefulness to man- kind.' d. Among the host of American inventors the following four are suggested as examples. The inventions of these four men have made necessary human labor easier of accomplishment, and thereby men and women have been given time and opportunity for more self-development and larger service. If preferred, other inventors such as the Wright Brothers (the aeroplane), Thomas A. Edison (the talking machine), S. F. B. Morse (the telegraph), and Alex- ander Graham Bell (the telephone) may be discussed. e. Eli Whitney (the cotton gin). f. Charles Goodyear (the vulcanizing of rubber). g. Cvns Hall McCormick (the reaper), h. Elias Howe (the sewing machine). General Reference: Leading American Inventors, by George lies (Henry Holt & Co., 1912). If this book is not available, consult an encyclopedia, or the town or school library. III. How Can We Serve Our Country? (For July.) a. Sustain the government (12th Article of Faith), b. Keep informed, c. Prepare ourselves to give service in time of need. d. Uphold the law. e. Be consistent in speech and action, f. Practice economy. g. Keep phvsicallv strong, mentally awake, morally straight. Declamation — Preamble to the Constitution. IV. America the Wonderland. (For August.) a. Her mountains, b. Her lakes, c. Her rivers, d. Her forests, e. Her national parks, f. Her prairies, g. Her deserts, h. Her har- bors, i. Her glaciers. Note. — The speaker should select from the above list the topics which appeal to him most. References: Carpenter's North America; Stoddart's Lectures. Reading, "Forest Hymn," by Wm. Cullen Bryant. V. American Patriots (For September) . a. President Woodrow Wilson, The Story of His Life, by Wm. Bay- ard Hale (Doubleday Page & Co). 1. Admiral George Dewev, Four American Naval Heroes, Mabel Bar- ton Bebel (American Book Co.^ MUTUAL WORK 661 c. Ex-President Theodore Roosevelt, The Boy and the Man, by James Morgan (McMillan Co.) d. General U. S. Grant, Four American Patriots, Alma Holman Bur- ton (Warner School Book Co.) Declamations: "Webster's Reply to Hayne," "The Alternative," by Patrick Henry. VI. American Ideals. (For October.) a. The Spirit of Liberty. 1. Bequeathed by pilgrim and revolutionary fathers. 2. Maintained by the institutions of the country. b. Equality. 1. The Constitution — "All men are created equal." 2. The right of self-government. c. Reverence. 1. For Deity. 2. For sacred institutions. 3. For home. d. Cleanliness of manhood. e. Purity of womanhood. f. Love of justice. g. Loyalty. 1. To country and its institutions. 2. To the flag. Reading: "Lincoln's Gettysburg Address." Music: "Star Spangled Banner," "America," "Stars and Stripes For- ever" (instrumental selection, by Sousa), "I Salute Thee, Old Glory" (Boy Scout chorus), "Flag of the Free," "Our Mountain Home So Dear," "There is Beauty in the Forest," "O Ye Mountains High," "Utah, the Star of the West," "My Valley Home" (Stephens), "Flag without a Stain" (solo), "Idaho, my Idaho," or any music of your own state. Prizes Offered for Vacation Time for Boys The Y. M. M. I. A. Committee on Vocations and Industries are again offering prizes for certain industries. They say: "This will be the year of years for western people| Whether engaged in agriculture, manufacturing or commerce they may prosper. More than mere personal gain, every man and boy has a patriotic duty to perform. The world is crying for food. Our country in the present crisis will need every- thing which can be produced. Let's do our share to make this big, new, throbbing west produce to the limit. "A great chance we have to get our boys started in industry. Every wideawake M. I. A. officer can probably think of a score of things the boys of his community can do to spend a profitable vacation. Let's start right now. Get the boys to think about what they can do. Tell them of the en- couragement offered by the M. I. A. Boys' Industrial Contest. After they have thought it over and "coolly" resolved to do something worth while, enroll them in the contest and send their entry blanks in promptly. "We are sending you a sample blank for each ward of your stake. Let us know how many more you need. Urge our boys to also enroll in the potato crop, and pig, and poultry clubs being conducted by the schools. Let's help them to get started right, and then inject the "pep" and enthusi- asm to keep them going. Our work is not finished until the reports are returned in the fall. "Please read the rules carefully, and if everything isn't clear, write for more information. See April Era for winners in last year's contest. Your boys can do just as well."