--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Talmage, James Edward collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 21 number: 3 published: 1918-01 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: "James E. Talmage, “Religion of Daily Life,” *Improvement Era* 21, no. 3 (January 1918): 256–258." source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera2103unse 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: improvementera2103unse start_page: 256 end_page: 258 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1918-01) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera2103unse publication_year: 1918 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 1918, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # Religion of Daily Life Religion of Daily Life A Practical Test By Dr. James E. Talmage, of the Council of the Twelve We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, vir- tuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed, we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul — we believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things. — Arti- cles of Faith, No. 13. In this brief statement the Latter-day Saints proclaim the practical character of their religion — a religion that embraces not alone definite conceptions of spiritual matters, and belief as to conditions in the hereafter, doctrines of original sin and the actuality of heaven and hell, but also and more particularly of present, current, every-day duties, in which self-respect, love for fellow-men, and devotion to God are the guiding principles. Religion without personal morality, professions of godliness without charity, church membership without consistent conduct in the common affairs of life are but as sounding brass and tinkling cymbals — noise without music, the words of prayers without the spirit. "// any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain. Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this: To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world?' (James 1:26, 27). Religion Put to the Test A good test of a man's religion is its utility. Religious pro- fession used as a cloak — and that too often reserved for Sunday wear, hiding in part the shabby rags of sin — is but sacrilege. In any attempt to analyze a religious system or creed it is pertinent to examine the results of its operation in the lives of its adher- ents. This is as simple and fair as to judge a tree by the quality of its substance and fruit. Altruism is an essential ingredient of a religion that is worth while. "// a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother ivhom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this command- RELIGION OF DAILY LIFE 257 ment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also" (I John 4:20, 21). Missionary Service The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints invites at- tention to its work of unselfish, practical, unremitting benev- olence. In missionary service the Church has been active since the date of its organization ; and this systematic labor, because of its extent and unique methods, has attracted attention and stim- ulated comment in practically all nations of the earth. Actuated by a genuine love for humanity and the desire to obey the Divine command respecting such, the Church sends out every year hun- dreds of missionaries to proclaim its message to the world. These devoted servants comprise men and women called from all voca- tions, who serve without salary or any other form of material remuneration. Furthermore, they pay their own way in travel- ing to their appointed fields of labor and while serving therein, except so far as they may receive assistance from those who be- come interested in their work. A desire common to young Latter-day Saints is to so live that they shall be found worthy to be called into service to spend a period of years, generally from two to four, as traveling min- isters of the gospel of Christ. They offer their message without money or price, carrying it to the doors in city and country, dis- tributing literature, inviting conversation, but never forcing themselves upon unwilling hearers. Who can consistently affirm that such faithful servants as these are insincere or devoid of that love for fellow-men without which genuine love of God is im- possible? The Relief Society The benevolence that manifests itself in material giving is impressed as a duty upon members of the Church, and while every one is taught to assist the needy by individual effort, a system of orderly contribution and distribution is maintained. In each ward and branch of the Church an organization of women known as the Relief Society is operative. Its particular function is that of caring for the needy and the afflicted, without exclusive distinction as to whether the subjects of their minis- tration are members of the Church or not. The Relief Society receives contributions of money, clothing, food and other com- modities and distributes these as occasion requires, beside main- taining a system of visitation to the needy, giving aid in nursing, comfort in bereavement, and relief from distress in every way possible. Fasting and Prayer The Church teaches the efficacy of prudent fasting, moderate abstinence from food at stated times, as an accessory to prayer; and the first Sunday of each month is observed as a fast-day. On that day the people are invited to meet for special devotional service, and by common consent and custom they contribute at least the equivalent of the meals omitted through the fasting of the family. These offerings are received by the local officers, and are distributed under their direction to the worthy poor. If there be a surplus in any ward it is applied to the needs of other wards in which the proportion of dependent poor is greater. By these and other methods, including the tithing system to be considered later, are the Latter-day Saints taught to give of their substance for worthy purposes, and in such a way as to avoid indiscriminate charity whereby perchance unworthy de- pendency would be fostered. We believe that the harmony of our prayers will become a discord if the cry of the deserving poor accompany our supplications to the throne of Grace. Missionaries of the New Haven Conference Left to right, top row: Clarence B. Stewart, Mary I. Ingles, Amund Levorsen, John Lamborn, La Verde Evans, Cecil Baker, Willard 0. An- drus, C. E. McCombs, Eva Felsted. Second row: Geo. B. Wynn, Frank J. Gilbert, Emily Caldwell, H. I). Maughan, retiring conference president, Millie Tuller, L. W. Jeffery, incoming conference president, W. Russell Tanner. Front row: L. G. Alvord, Verland Beck.