--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Palmer, Annie D. collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 21 number: 9 published: 1918-07 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'Palmer, Annie D., "Back to the Faith," *Improvement Era* 21, no. 9 (July 1918): 765–772.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera2109unse 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: improvementera2109unse start_page: 765 end_page: 772 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1918-07) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera2109unse 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. --- # Back to the Faith BACK TO THE FAITH 767 husband's college work was tearing out the very stones upon which their tower of faith was built. Frank had ceased to pray. She remembered now that he had criticized severely a testimony that a good sister had related in fast meeting. She doubted that he had paid any tithing during the last year. She recalled that several times the smell of tobacco on his clothing had been suspicious. Her confidence wavered; her heart trobbed with a heavy pain. To women less earnest in their religion, less spiritual in their desires, these matters might have been trivial, but Alice had been taught to look upon this life as a preparation for life eternal. She had learned to count earth's family ties as ties that shall have no end, and the rearing of children in the fear of God as the greatest thing to be done in all the world. And in the gradual weakening of her husband's faith, she saw an almost insurmountable barrier to the onward progress of eternity. With a confidence born of her perfect love, she told herself that she would never cease to pray until he walked firmly again in the way of life. The husband returned to the medical college when the summer vacation was over, and in the year that followed drifted rapidly down the stream of skepticism and unbelief. Toward the latter end of the third year's work, Mr. Moreton was called home on account of the very serious illness of little Afton. The child seemed scarcely alive when he reached home, and for three days lay so near to death that it wanted but the whisper of the heavenly angel to summon her away. The mother's heart was lifted in constant prayer for her recovery. The father looked calmly on and joined his newly acquired skill with the skill of the old physician who had attended the family for years. At last the crisis was past. Speedily the little one came back to health. Again the home took on its normal cheer. Frank had lost two weeks, but in the joy of seeing Afton well, he felt able to make it all up. "I really understood the case better than did Dr. Oldham," he said to his wife on the evening before his departure. "The science of medicine is advancing so fast, it almost takes one's breath away to keep up with it." "God was so good," Alice answered, as she stroked his head softly, "to let us keep our darling." After a pause she asked, "Don't you see that it was God who healed her?" "I don't just see the relation between God and that first — dose of medicine we gave her. It was so out of the ordinary so different from the usual treatment." "It was an inspiration! Oh, Frank! can't you understand " 768 IMPROVEMENT ERA that we are only the means of carrying out Heaven's will? The fact that the dose was unusual is additional proof to me, that our Father heard our prayers and prompted the treatment." "You mean that he heard your prayers," the man answered in his arrogance. "Heard our prayers," repeated his wife, "mine and the children's." "Alice, I am sorry to have to hurt your feelings," Mr. Moreton began deliberately, "but, I don't want you to teach that stuff to the children. I want my children to grow up with their minds free and unbiased in matters of religion. They can decide those things when they have judgment to weigh them properly." "And I want my children to grow up," she answered firmly, "with a faith so strong, that no trial and no temptation, and no learning can shake it! Tell me, Frank, what have you gained in throwing away the faith of your father? Are you a better citizen, since you are not religious? Are you a kinder husband and father, since you doubt God? Is your life cleaner, more useful, more hopeful, since you cast Divinity aside? Has happiness increased, or any gift been added to replace the joy your faith afforded? Answer me truly" "I am wiser, Alice, I know better." "I do not want your wisdom !A wisdom that takes faith out of my heart, that puts God out of my life, and gives me nothing in return — "Would you have the world ignorant?" "No, far from it! But I would have men and women enter the fields of higher learning with the view of finding out God's mysteries, rather than with the desire to disprove Him. A few weeks ago I spent a day in the temple. In the morning service President Lund bore testimony that he knows that God lives and hears us when we pray. This thought came to me: 'President Lund's education is so vastly superior to any of our — ordinary college men and yet he knows God! How the thought burned itself into my heart! And when a young elder sang, 'I know that my Redeemer Lives,' it seemed to me that a host of angels bore witness to the truth of my conviction Frank, ! if you value my happiness, do not try to weaken my faith, nor to prevent me from teaching it to our children!" "Oh, well," he answered carelessly, "as you will. I suppose it won't really hurt the youngsters much, though it's a terrible waste of time." For five years Moreton had been practicing medicine in his own home town. His practice had been wonderfully sue- — BACK TO THE FAITH 769 cessful in more ways than one. He had been able to pay his debts, to build a commodious home, to dress well, to ride in a splendid car, and to lay by a snug little sum for a rainy day. He had built up a good business for his future and an enviable professional reputation. As men count success, there was little else to be desired. But his wife was growing prematurely old. She was never happy now as in early days; the nearest approach to it was when she and the children sang hymns and folk songs, and told each other's experiences, after the lamps were lighted. She was fully appreciative of the blessings of life, their beautiful home, their bright romping children, her good health, and all the good they were able to do. But, persistently would come to her Christ's question to the disciples: "For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own eoul?" And now a thing occurred which came very near losing to Dr. Moreton the joy of the whole world, too. He had stopped where the metal front of a building was being erected. In an unlucky moment he drew close to a man who was hammering the metal very hard. A chip of steel hit his eye cutting through the corner and lodging far back in the retina. Dr. Moreton went to his office and immediately gave it the best attention within his power. There was no other doctor in the town, and no eye specialist within two hundred miles. His mirror showed him only the ugly three-cornered cut, so .he supposed the steel that had hit him had fallen away. He washed the eye carefully and put on a bandage. The next day he made another examination. The wound seemed to be healing nicely, but the pain was not lessened. For two days more he paced up and down his office floor, little heeding whether it was in darkness or in light. His wife was unable to comfort him. The children cried and went away except Afton. She would stay by him hours at a time and hold his hand and walk the floor with him. She scarcely ever spoke except to ask: "May I bring you a drink, papa? or a piece of cake? or an on orange : Once she said timidly, "We have prayed for you, papa, we alwavs pray for you." "Yes, dear," he answered, "I know." On the third day Alice noticed that he frequently put his hand over the other eye; and when she asked him he admitted that it, too, was paining him very much. In the afternoon he arranged the bandage to cover them both. And now Afton led him to and fro in the room and sat and caressed him when he tired of walking, and his heart sank with 770 IMPROVEMENT ERA the helplessness that he felt was coming, and he moaned despairingly, and could not find comfort. Alice's grief was quite as terrible as his own. She realized that his soul had in great measure shut out the light of heaven, and it seemed now that the sunshine of earth was also to be denied him. She prayed, how earnestly, how constantly, she prayed, that the mercy of God would spare them the awful calamity! "If the foreign body that entered the eye had been removed the wound would heal, and the pain ought to cease," reasoned Dr. Moreton to himself. "The foreign body must therefore still be in the eye. The workman was hammering steel, so the chip that did the mischief is probably steel. If that is true a strong magnet will remove it." He called a careful business man to take him to see the eye specialist. On the way he talked to the business man about the terrible dread that was on his mind — described how it seemed to face the world henceforth, forever, in the dark — how he had perhaps looked at his wife and children for the last time how— his little daughter had led, and how she would continue to lead, him. The eye specialist made the examination, and was puzzled. Then Dr. Moreton advanced his theory. The magnet was brought. When it came into close proximity with the scar in the eyeball, there was a thump against the outer surface as if the eye had been struck from within, and the eye ball bulged perceptibly. The half healed opening was too small to allow the chip to pass. With a most delicate instrument the cut was enlarged and the magnet again applied. This time it came through the opening and adhered to the magnet. It was an achievement to the profession. The eye recovered speedily, and the other one which had been suffering only out of sympathy, was now perfectly normal. Dr. Moreton said rather boastfully that the experiment was well worth the suffering. Alice humbly gave thanks to God and acknowledged it as an inspiration. most difficult to understand why some spirits so stub- It is bornly the beneficent influences that heaven sheds resist around them. It was so with Dr. Moreton. Having once denied the testimony of the truth, it was very hard for him to put away his pride and accept a power that was greater than his ambition. But there came a time when the petitions of his faithful wife could no longer be denied of heaven, a time when his haughtiness must be broken that her prayers might prevail, and because he had eo fortified himself against the teachings of his BACK TO THE FAITH 771 childhood, the chastening hand must needs be laid heavily upon him in order to make him understand. The older children had gone to a school party. Dr. Moreton and his wife and sister were at the theatre. Afton was at home with the sister's two little children. Suddenly it occurred to the young girl that they could have popcorn, so she set about making a fire. In order to hurry the blaze she took the coal oil can and poured oil on the smouldering coals. In an instant the can was aflame. She held on to it and carried it outside, but threw it down near the corner of the frame kitchen. It took but a moment to start a blaze that spread rapidly through the house. Meanwhile the child with wonderful presence of mind, had extinguished the fire in her clothing by rolling herself in a rug on the floor. While there in agonizing pain the house began to fill with smoke, and great flames shot through the kitchen door. Realizing the terrible truth she managed to get the two little ones out and at a safe distance. Then she swooned and knew no more until she heard the pleading tones of her mother praying that Father in Heaven would spare her life. They had carried her to a little two-roomed cot across the street, where an old woman lived with her cat and chickens. There they had stripped off the burned clothing and dressed the awful burns that covered her chest, neck, and right arm. For hours they had sat watching for a return of consciousness, while the flames licked up the remains of their beautiful home and left a heap of smoking embers. When Afton opened her eyes the father turned away his tear wet face and sobbed aloud for joy. But days lengthened into weeks and into months and still the little girl lay upon the pillows. The burns healed slowly, proud flesh grew in the wounds, the forces of nature seemed too much exhausted to effect repairs. And now the father noted with alarm that there was heart leakage to add to the other difficulties. He could not tell his wife of this discovery, he could not bear to think of it — himself. It was so sickening so utterly hopeless. In his grief it seemed to him that no other such child had ever lived as this child that was being taken from him — that nothing else on earth could ever be worth striving for when her innocence and love were gone. As he sat with lowered head thinking it over, the frail hand of the child was laid on his and the feeble voice faltered: "You can't make me well, can you papa?" "I shall try, darling, but—" "But you can't, papa, I know you can't. You have tried ever so long and I am not better." " 772 IMPROVEMENT ERA "Not much better, sweetheart! What do you want papa to do?" "Papa, dear, couldn't you ask God? Mama has asked Him, — — and so have Joey and Frances but if the whole family should — — — ask I mean kneel down together here by my bed "Yes, yes, child. What then?" "Then the Heavenly Father would know for sure that you all want me!" There was a long sigh from the child, and she turned her face away. The man sat for a while motionless, pride struggling against humility, blind reason seeking to overthrow the kindled spark of faith. At last he arose and went to the bed chamber. He sat there for an hour his doubt and intense desire struggling for supremacy. The weak moaning of his child now came again to his ears and in agony he threw himself upon his knees and in tears and sobbing began to call upon God. Faith had conquered. His prayer was sincere and earnest. And when he arose and sought his wife it was with new hope and a tranquil peace. "Alice," he said, 'there is no hope for Afton, but in the power of God. She has asked that we all kneel by her bedside and pray. Will you call the children?" The wife gave no outwa 'i{ sign of surprise or joy, but her heart was happier at that momtnt than it had been before since Afton was born. "Amen," the little sufferer repeated as they all arose after the prayer was said, and a moment later she was sleeping peacefully. In a few days the child was sitting propped up with pillows. The burns were healing nicely and there was no sign of the heart trouble. "The Heavenly Father is the best doctor, isn't he, papa?" she said, patting her father's hand. "Yes, darling. He is a wonderful doctor. He has cured your heart, and made mamma's happy, and given your hard old daddy a new one." "He can do everything with hearts, can't he?" the child said, smiling. And Dr. Moreton realizing the awful struggle his change of heart had cost, answered: "Yes, child, everything." Then he took down the big Bible and together they read the story of the little daughter of Jairus. "Let us pray," he said to his wife when they were preparing to retire that night. "I see my error and I confess it. 'The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God'." Provo, Utah The Return of the Jews To Regain Palestine and Rebuild Their Cities and Temple is the — Dream of the Chosen People Consolation in Ancient Prophetic Promises By E. H. Lund "Behold, I will gather them out of all countries, whither I have driven them in mine anger, and in my fury, and in great wrath; and I will bring them again unto this place, and I will cause them to dwell safely: and they — shall be my people, and I will be their God." Jer. 32:37. The scriptures foretell that in the latter days the descendants of ancient Israel, the Jews, shall be gathered again in the land of their fathers, there to re-establish their abode, rebuild their temples, and again be a prosperous people under the hand of the Lord. Though they have since been so sorely stricken and hounded about, the Hebrew race was at one time a stable, concrete and well-governed nation. But they became perverse and disobedient to the commands of God, and he withdrew his Spirit from them, till finally they were wholly bereft of prophets and seers to guide them, and they were left to their own uninspired devisings and contrivings. And so they had fallen under the condemnation and chastisement of the Lord, in that he permitted their successive bondages, buffetings and persecutions at the hand of their enemies, finally to be driven and scattered, a homeless people, among the nations of the earth. Their lands and properties confiscated, themselves banished from their own country, the latter has remained in the possession of an alien people until the present time. Ancient Israel was the "chosen people" of the Lord. Through their appointed leaders and prophets he made known his will, and as long as they gave heed to counsel and rendered obedience to the heavenly commandments prosperity and happiness attended them and all went well. But, as a people, they were a weak-spirited, fickle race, ofttimes stiff-necked and stubborn, requiring to be governed by a firm, iron hand. Such were the traits and characteristics of the Hebrew race, whose national disruption and wide dispersion to all parts of the earth and the certainty of their eventual regathering in the land of their heritage was the burden of concernment of most of the prophecies of the Old Testament. The literal fulfilment of Jeremiah's prediction respecting Judah's entire desolation, of the 774 IMPROVEMENT ERA I "scattering" of Israel and their thorough "sifting" among the various nations, need not be here discussed at length. Suffice to say that history establishes the fact of their final destruction as a nation by the Romans, who sold "the remnant"—perhaps 97,000 — all told into slavery in the cities of the empire. This occurred some 600 years after the term of their Babylonish captivity (2 Kings 24 and 25) was completed. From this time on they were — taken wherever their masters pleased "dispersed over all the habitable earth," says Josephus. In fulfilment of the word of the Lord in Deuteronomy (28:64), they have indeed been "scattered from one end of the earth even unto the other," and have "become a proverb and a byword among all nations." In any age whenever the Lord had a people on earth, established in the faith, and yielding humble obedience to his laws and statutes, the privileges and blessings peculiar to the possession of the Holy Priesthood and the fulness of the gospel of Christ were enjoyed by the Saints. There is no warrant, in or out of scripture, for the assumption that the children of Israel was an exception to the rule. While there is scant reference in the Jewish scriptures relative to this question, the supposition is reasonable, and we feel convinced of the fact, that the gospel principles in their fulness were preached and taught to ancient Israel and, perhaps for a time, at least, were in active operation among them in the early history of their national existence. The few references that might be cited tend strongly to sustain and confirm this view. However, as stated, their disaffection and deviation from the commands of the Lord brought upon them the Divine wrath and displeasure. Under the leadership of Moses, it became apparent that the people could not "abide the higher law." In the revelations of God we are informed that "Moses plainly taught the children of Israel in the wilderness, and sought diligently to sanctify his people that they might behold the face of God; but they hardened their hearts. * * * Therefore he took Moses out of their midst, and the Holy Priesthood also" (D. and C. 84:23-25). It is mentioned by Paul, in his epistle to the Hebrews (4:2), that the gospel had been preached to Israel by Moses. But the "word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith;" hence, when camped about Mt. Horeb, they could not endure the presence of the Lord, and besought Moses that they might not hear the voice of the Lord nor see his glory, lest they should die. For their instability and want of abiding faith, the higher law was withdrawn from ancient Israel, while the lesser Priesthood remained and the law of carnal commandments was given them (D. and C. 84:23-27). The degrading unrighteousness and hypocrisy of Israel, as recorded in the history of their backslidings and disaffection, cul-