--- 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: 9 published: 1917-07 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations, "M. I. A. Conference," *Improvement Era* 20, no. 9 (July 1917): 835.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera2009unse 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: improvementera2009unse start_page: 835 end_page: 835 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1917-07) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera2009unse 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. --- # M. I. A. Conference Conference The June conference of the M. I. A. was among the most successful that has ever been held in the Church. The interest was kept awake from beginning to end. The Boy Scouts and Beehive Girls gave demonstrations on Thursday night, which were completely successful, and the interest was kept up from that time until the closing prayer on Sunday night at the joint meeting of the M. I. A. and Primary Associations. The songs were inspiring, the subjects were of a living interest, and all were given with enthusiasm and in a clearness that none could fail to understand. Among the most important was the great speech of President Joseph F. Smith, on Sunday afternoon, and those of his counselors, President Anthon H. Lund and Charles W. Penrose. All three of these are published in this number of the Improvement Era. They are messages that cover the needs of the day. Their counsel and advice to our boys and young men who go out to join the army is of vital importance and of incalculable advantage. They should be read, re-read, and circulated freely among the young men who have enlisted in the National Guard and in the army of the United States. Additional details of our conference proceedings, prticu- larly of the activities of the M. I. A. for the coming season, will be given in the Era for August. A number of interesting items are given in this number, under "Mutual Work." Messages from the Missions Street Meetings Permitted George E. Weatherston, Plain City, Utah, writing from Muncie, Indiana, says: "Mae Earl of Mt. View, Canada, and Lucy Clayson of American Fork, Utah, and myself, are meeting with success in this district. The peo- ple are anxious to receive our literature and to learn more about 'Mormon- ism.' We have left many books with the people, including Books of Mor- mon and also tracts and other books, and through these have made manv friends whom we now can visit, and who enjoy having us explain the gospel and sing the songs of Zion, which we do gladly. The lady missionaries are having success in the Relief Society, and are gaining new members con- tinually. Our Sunday school and preaching service, which we hold at the home of the Saints and friends, are well attended. We are now permitted to hold street meetings in this town, which the missionaries have not been