--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - McMurrin, Joseph W. collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 21 number: 10 published: 1918-08 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'McMurrin, Joseph W., "A Living Witness to the Power of God," *Improvement Era* 21, no. 10 (August 1918): 893–895.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera21010unse 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: improvementera21010unse start_page: 893 end_page: 895 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1918-08) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera21010unse 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. --- # A Living Witness to the Power of God A LIVING WITNESS TO THE POWER OF GOD 875 own soul, by the power of the Holy Spirit which takes of the things of God and reveals them unto men, and which is the greatest of all, has come an understanding and a consciousness of the truth of this work of God. I know from the crown of my head to the soles of my feet that God has spoken; that he has revealed and bestowed upon men his authority; that he has organized his Church; that he has commissioned his servants to preach the gospel; that authority has come in a legal manner to me; and as one of his servants, in the name of my Master, I call men to an investigation of this great message, the message of the everlasting gospel. In the name of that Master, I say, every soul who will honestly and prayerfully investigate the truth shall be made to know by the power of God, by the mysterious influences of the Holy Spirit, who casts out all doubt and fear, and reveals the truth most perfectly, that I but speak what I most assuredly do know when I declare in all soberness that this is God's work, established by his will and commandment, with the promise that it shall be maintained against all the forces that may be arrayed against it in the future, just as it has been maintained against tremendous forces that have been arrayed against it in the past. God bless these workers in the Mutual Improvement cause, the boys and girls of the fathers and mothers of "Mormondom." God help them to see and believe the truth, that their feet may tread in the right path, and that to this cause they may consecrate their lives and talents and possessions, forever and ever. That the race may be won, and salvation at last be found for every one, in the presence of the blessed Redeemer, I humbly pray, through Jesus Christ. Amen. Our Country's Call "And ye who breast the mountain storm By grassy steep or highland lake, Come, for the land ye love, to form A bulwark that no foe can break. Stand, like your own gray cliffs that mock The whirlwind stand in her defense ; The blast as soon shall move the rock, As rushing squadrons bear ye thence." —Bryant. Why America Entered the War By James Smedley, Jr. [Thirteen Church districts out of nineteen selected speakers for the Annual M. I. A. Contest, at the June, 1918, conference. The report herewith shows the districts that reported, the winners, their addresses, the title of the oration, and the stake from whence they came. The blank districts did fiot report this year. When we consider that in each Church district there must have been from five to six contestants at least, and that, in order to provide these contestants, each stake and ward must have had a large number of participants, the wide scope of the activity may well be imagined. The winners in the final contest are: 1. James Smedley, Jr., Bountiful, Utah, District No. 9. His speech, "Why America Entered the War," is given herewith. 2. Walter U. Fuhriman, Providence, Utah, District No. 7, "The Thorn in America's Side." 3. George Blair Glade, Lake View, Utah, District No. 10, "The Strength of Youth." It will be noticed that no contestants came from district No. 1, Alberta; district 2, Big Horn; district 11, Sevier; district 13, Young; district 15, St. Johns, and district 19, Box Elder. The speaker from district No. 14, Maricopa, Lawrence Kleinman, was unable to be present, but sent his manuscript. Considerable interest was taken in the contest, and the Assembly Hall contained many friends and visitors who went to hear the final contest, and witness the awarding of the medals to the three winners. The public speaking contest will continue for the year 1918-19, under the regulations provided in the convention circular, and we trust that every stake and ward will take part, and also that every Church district, at the close of the season of 1919, will be represented at the finals. The new regulations by which the preparation will begin in the wards with the opening of the season and continue monthly, until March, will add stimulus to this particular activity in our organizations. . Entries in the M. I. A. Speakers' Contest, June, 1918 District No. 1, Alberta. District No. 2, Big Horn. District No. 3, Union Winner,— Henry Maxfield, Union, Ore. (Union stake); subject, "Education the Best Means of Service." District No. 4, Bingham— Winner, A. M. Anderson, Idaho Falls, Ida. (Bingham stake); subject, "The Passing of the Kings." District No. 5, Cassia—Winner, Ivie Taylor, Elba, Ida. (Raft River stake) subject, "Why We are at War." ; District No. 6, Bear Lake—Winner, Rosa Sherrod, Montpelier, Ida. (Montpelier stake); subject, "The Cry of Freedom." Disrtict No. 7, Cache—Winner, Walter U. Fuhriman, Providence, Utah (Cache stake); subject, "The Thorn in America's Side." District No. 8, Ogden—Winner, Russel Petty, Ogden, Utah (Weber stake); subject, "The Duties of the Patriotic American Citizen." District No. 9, Ensign—Winner, James Smedley, Bountiful, Utah (South Davis stake): snbiect. "Why America Entered the War." WHY AMERICA ENTERED THE WAR 897 — District No. 10, Utah Winner, Geo. Blair Glade, Lake View, Utah (Utah stake); subject, "The Strength of Youth." District No. 11, Sevier. — District No. 12, Parowan Winner, Wm. C. Roche, Cedar City, Utah (Parowan stake); subject, "Compulsory Arbitration as a Means of Securing Peace." District No. 13, Young. — District No. 14, Maricopa Winner, Lawrence Kleinman, R. D. No. 2, Box 41, Tempe, Ariz. (Maricopa stake); subject, "Our Country at War; Why?" District No. 15, St. Johns. — District No. 16, Uintah Winner, Walter Woolley, Vernal, Utah (Uintah stake); subject, "The Spirit of America." — District No. 17, Deseret Winner, Jane McBride, Fillmore, Utah (Millard stake) ; subject, "The War's Contribution to Christianity." District No. 18,Pocatello — Winner, Willard Kingsford, Downey, Ida.; (Portneuf stake); subject, "The Flag of America." District No. 19, Box Elder. We give below the text of the speech which won first place and also the photographs of the three winning speakers. Editors.] On August 4, 1914, our World's War began by the German invasion of Belgium. On that same day Germany began the course of conduct which could have but one end: the forcing of our peace-loving democracy into the war. And now that we are in, there must be but one outcome, the crushing of German au- tocracy. Germany forced us into the war, we are fighting only in self-defense. We did not wish to fight Germany. We did not wish to fight anyone. We wanted only neutrality. Our stand was neutral be- cause we thought by being neutral we could best serve the welfare of humanity. For nearly three years we main- tained our position as neu- tral. But every new action of the German Imperial gov- ernment more thoroughly James Smedley, Jr. convinced us that we would have to change our policy of peace for one of war, if we were going to live up to ourselves as the champions of democracy in the world. It gradually dawned upon us that not only was the