Answering the Call in M. I. A. Work

Answering the Call in M. I. A. Work By Hyrum M. Smith, of the Council of the Twelve

This peculiar form of expression, "answering the call," while perhaps not originated by Mr. Jack London, has become of quite general use since he wrote a book and gave it the title, The Call of the Wild. In the story, London makes the good, docile, civilized and Christian dog Buck, through cruel treat- ment and the necessity of defending himself for very existence against a ferocious pack of his kind, awaken and gradually de- velop all the crafty cunning and wild savagery of his wolfish ancestry which for generations had lain dormant within him. London calls this "harking back to his forbears," or The Call of the Wild. Those quiet, intense, spontaneous and unheralded desires and longings which spring up in the heart, from one cannot tell where, are defined, in current vernacular, as "the call." The call of the forest, or desert, or mountain, or stream. The call of the gun and rod. The call of duty, or worship, or prayer, or dream. The call of the voice of God. Thus are personified the longings which awaken in the breast, and the call is an- swered by satisfying the desire. The Call in the M. I. A. Work! What is it? Many fail to understand it, or scarcely hear it at all, because of failure to "stop and listen," and through neglect to encourage it and be- come acquainted and familiar with it. You who have learned a foreign language will remember what a jumbled jargon of unin- telligible sounds the strange tongue seemed to be when you first heard it. It was an unpleasant and continuous flow of talk un- divided into words. You could not detect the pause between words, or find place for comma or colon. You could hardly recognize the periods. But by hearing it often and listening attentively the sounds became familiar to your ears. You soon distinguished the words and learned their meaning and how to pronounce them. You had heard the "call of a foreign tongue," and had learned to speak and understand it. Then you discovered that it was as pleasing and expressive as your own, and opened to you delightful access to the thought, letters, poetry, and wonderful history of a new people! So, for a few moments you are invited to listen to the "Call of the M. I. A." to discover if there is in it a message for you.

*An address delivered at the noon luncheon given by the General Board to the Stake Superintendents, Y. M. M. I. A. Conference, June 9, 1917.

26 IMPROVEMENT ERA

You cannot comprehend the full significance of the call in a moment; that will require a lifetime. But a moment's atten- tion may reveal something of its mighty import. Hearken: it is the call of your inner or better self! You are a man, created in the image of God, whose offspring you are. You have not evolved from apes nor lesser forms. Your ances- tors were not prehistoric savages who dwelt in caves and per- sisted, through their greater strength and cunning, among other wild creatures. You descended from heaven to earth that through obedience and improvement you might ascend higher and be added upon. God is your Father. You are royal born, and may rise to regal estate. You have inherited the attributes of your heavenly Father. Do you not feel them stirring within you, and calling out for growth and development? As you are, God once was, and as God is, you may be. Arise therefore, and stand erect. Improve your time, improve your mind, improve yourself! Restrain yourself, govern yourself, according to the principles of right, for "he that conquers himself is greater than he that taketh a city." And all things are possible, all heights are accessible, through faith and work! Are you, then, content to yield to evil, and grovel in the beggarly elements of the world? Ponder this call in your heart. But while thinking, listen again. Do you not hear another call? Does it not pierce and thrill you, and cause your bosom to burn within you? Do you not recognize it? Why, it is the voice of God, and it calls in familiar and gentle tones: Thou art my son. Thou art a prince and an heir of God. Thou art a younger brother to my First Born, and Only Begotten in the flesh, even Jesus Christ, whom I gave as a ransom for sin and who became the Redeemer of all mankind, and "whom to know is life eternal." Thou art sent into the world to improve thy- self, "that I might prove thee, to see if thou wilt do all things whatsoever the Lord thy God commands thee." "Obedience is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams." But a man is saved no faster than he gets knowledge. The glory of God is intelligence. "Seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom." Wisdom is the principal thing. "If ye lack wisdom, ask of God who giveth to all men liberallv." "Get knowledge by study and faith." "But with all thy getting, get understand- ing." "Behold! the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to depart from evil is understanding." "Follow me and thou shalt be lifted up at the last day and exalted and glorified in my Father's kingdom." But lest the knowledge of your royal lineage, and the possi- ble heights you may attain through faith and self-improvement, make you proud and lifted up in your own conceit, listen once more: What do you hear? It is the call of the Priesthood:

ANSWERING THE CALL IN M. I. A. WORK 27

You are not only a son and heir of God, but you are a brother of man, and you are called to be a priest forever of the Most High; and if a brother and priest, then a servant. "If you would be great in the kingdom of heaven, you shall humble yourself as a little child." "And he that is least among you the same shall be great," and "he that is greatest among you shall be your servant." Saith the Lord: "I am among you as he that serveth." Think not more of yourself than you ought to think, "but let every man esteem his brother as himself." You are ordained and called to serve and help others. Self-improvement is good, but Mutual Improvement is better. To render service to others brings the most enduring staisfaction. To bring others to repentance and understanding is the greatest service you can perform for the Lord. "How great is the joy of the Lord in the soul that repenteth!" "Wherefore, ye are called to cry repentance to this people, and if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance to this people, and bring save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father; and if your joy will be great with one soul that you have brought unto me, into the king- dom of my Father, how great will be your joy if you should bring many souls unto me." Are not these sobering thoughts? Are not your responsibilities very great and important, inasmuch as you are called to the priesthood and thereby to be servants of the Lord and teachers and leaders of men? Whom shall you serve? Again lend a listening ear. What do you hear? Someone calling, calling, calling; it is a fearful cry! It is the call of a fallen and sinful world, crying with anguished voice and stretched out arms: Thou servant of God, come over into Idumea and help us, lest we sink into despair. All the evil forces of earth and hell seem combined for our overthrow and utter destruction. Teach us how to unite the good powers of heaven and earth for our mutual improvement, uplift and salvation. The foregoing is the great and principal message you will find in the "Call of the M. I. A.," when you learn the language of it. There are many other minor messages in the call which you will come to understand as you become familiar with the voice thereof. But this is the call of the very Church itself. True. But the M. I. A. is an organization of the Church, the special mission of which is to assist in the accomplishment of the high purposes of the Church. Its officers are leaders in the Church, and are required to help carry the burden. The spirit of the times is enlistment for war. Many of our young men are being called for that purpose which is right and necessary. There is a great call to arms, to work on the farm, and in the machine shops, and