---
title: Improvement Era
description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930.
authors:
  - William H. Latimer
collections:
  - periodicals
tags:
  - magazine
  - improvement-era
periodical: Improvement Era
volume: 21
number: 6
published: 1918-04
publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations
publisher_place: Salt Lake City
language: en
type: magazine
reference: "William H. Latimer, “The Way of Life,” *Improvement Era* 21, no. 6 (April 1918): 523."
source:
  url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera2106unse
  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: improvementera2106unse
start_page: 523
end_page: 523
rights:
  status: public-domain
  basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1918-04)
  source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera2106unse
  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.
---

# The Way of Life

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The Way of Life

Our lives upon life's ocean waves

Are tossed about like ships at sea,

And we, the captains of our souls,

Must guide them to eternity.

We at the helm must meet the storm,

And plow right through each rolling wave.

Just steer your bark the best you can,

And try your best your soul to save!

At times the sea will tranquil be;

At other times the billows roar.

Tis then you'll find it hard to steer

Your soul towards the heavenly shore.

And if the clouds obscure your view,

And you lose heart, and oft despair,

Let faith, your compass, never fail;

Just steer into God's harbor fair.

Wm. H. Latimer.

Camp Kearny, Cal.