Mutual Work

MUTUAL, WORK The Mission of America (To be used as a Declamation in all the associations for November, to prepare members for contests to be held in March and April, 1919.)

The mission of America in the world is essentially a mission of peace and good will among men. She has become the home and asylum of men of all creeds and races. Within her hospitable borders they have found homes and congenial associations, and freedom and a wide and cordial welcome, and they have become part of the bone and sinew and spirit of America itself. America has been made up out of the nations of the world and is the friend of the nations of the world. America has not opened its doors in vain to the men and women out of other nations. The vast major- ity of those who have come to take advantage of her hospitality have united their spirits with hers as well as their fortunes. These men who speak alien sympathies, who raise the cry of race against race, or of church against church, who attempt to create divisions and antagonisms where there are — none such men are not the spokesmen of the great mass of Americans, but the spokesmen of small groups whom it is high time that the Nation should call to a reckoning. The chief thing necessary in America, in order that she should let all the world know that she is prepared to maintain her own great position, is that the real voice of the Nation should sound forth un- mistakably and in majestic volume, in the deep unison of a common, unhesi- tating national feeling. I do not doubt that upon the first occasion, upon the first opportunity, upon the first challenge, that voice will speak forth in tones which no man can doubt and with command which no man dare gainsay or resist. Here is the Nation God has builded by our hands. What shall we do with it? Who is there who does not stand ready at all times to act in her behalf in a spirit of devoted and disinterested patriotism? We are yet only in the youth and first consciousness of our power The day of our country's life is still but in its fresh morning. Let us lift our eyes to the great tracts of life yet to be conquered in the interests of righteous peace. Come, let us renew our allegiance to America, conserve her strength in its purity, make her chief among those who serve mankind, self-reverenced, self-com'- manded, mistress of all forces of quiet counsel, strong above all others in good will and the might of invincible justice and right. -President Wood- rotv Wilson. (Extract of speech delivered before the Manhattan Club, New York Citv Nov. 4, 1915.)

Helpful Hints to Stake Officers M. I. A.

Make a thorough digest of all the work to be undertaken. Let there be unity of effort of the two Boards, with complete under- standing among the members, and between the Boards, for first-class team work. Stake officers should assume a sympathetic attitude toward ward offi- cers, and make constructive criticism when visiting.

MUTUAL WORK 1101

Have increased interest awakened in music; provide more and better music. Place implicit reliance on Divine aid, but work bard. Make it a point to bear testimony to the divinity of the Prophet Joseph Smith's mission as often as possible. Provide occasion to speak personally to your officers. Make assignments definite and follow up their performance. Keep a record of each member's work. Keep in communication with the General Board, and answer promptly all correspondence of the Board. Provide some form of social activity for stake officers. Take an interest in your duties, and be not satisfied with slipshod and merely passable work in yourself or in the officers under you. Resolve to do your own part promptly, as well as you can, and then help others to do their part. Do your work in a cheerful spirit with the realization that petulance and pessimism depress all the workers and injure all the work.

Destroying an Association 1

A recent issue of The Decorating and Painting Contractor told of ten ways in which to kill an association. The following are some of them, which may well apply to the Y. M. M. I. A.. The Era is indebted to Pres- ident James Duckworth of the Blackfoot stake for the copy: "Don't come to the meetings, but if you do come, come late." "If the weather doesn't suit you, don't think of coming." "If you do attend meetings, find fault with the work of the officers and other members." "Never accept an office; it is easier to criticize than do things." "If asked by the chairman to give your opinion regarding some im- portant matter, tell him you have nothing to say. After the meeting tell everyone how things ought to be done." "Do nothing more than is necessary, but when other members roll up their sleeves and willingly, unselfishly use their ability to help matters along, howl that the association is run by a clique." "Hold back your dues as long as possible, or don't pay at all." "Don't bother about getting new members. 'Let George do it.' Now, will some one give the Era ten positive, constructive ways to build up an association, not necessarily including the antithesis of the above negatives?

Pioneer Stake Activity Guide

The Era is in receipt of a neat pocket activity guide for the year 1918-19 of the Pioneer Stake Mutual Improvement Association. On the cover page is the association insignia, containing the following motto: "Success comes in cans, failures in can'ts. Pioneer Stake M. I. A. We Can." Under this is printed the M. I. A. slogans for the past five years. The booklet contains the names of all the stake officers, including the high council, alternates, bishops of wards, with their addresses; superintendents of Y. M. and Y. L. M. I. A., and members of the stake boards, ward presidents of the Y. M. and Y. L. M. I. A., dates of the monthly stake officers' meetings, including the M. I. A. monthly meeting ; time of ward sacrament meetings in each ward of the stake; home missionary appointments for the year; the M. I. A. Reading Course; the program of joint enlistment work: the dates and titles of all the

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social events for the year, and the regular details of the M. I. A. activities. The circular also provides preliminary programs for each week of the whole season, including the five suggested by the General Boards, with other instructions. It contains also an honor roll, consisting of the names of all residents of that stake irrespective of creed who are in the Govern- ment service. There are 547 enlistments in the fifteen wards of that stake. Datus Eugene Hammond of the stake presidency, former superintendent of the Y. M. M. I. A., and Bruno Lange, secretary of the Y. M. M. I. A., are in the service of the country, also Eli W. Eliason and Joseph R. Worthen of the stake board Y. M. M. I. A., besides a large number of the members of the various associations.

Class Methods in New Zealand

Elder A. Glen Wright and his counselors, shown in this picture, are engaged as Presidency of the Mutual Improvement Association in the New Zealand mission. The elders are, from left to right: J. D. Lauritzen, Vic- tor, Idaho, second counselor; A. Glen Wright, president, W. J. Maw, Ogden, Utah, first counselor. He writes :"We have Mutuals organized in several of the branches of the missions, both among the Maori and the European people, and much good is being accomplished in the way of teaching the young people the princi- ples of the gospel and how to live. At present we are taking up a study of The Articles of Faith, by Elder James E. Tal- mage, and in every Mu- tual throughout the mis- sion intense interest is being shown in the work. Where the Mutuals are organized among the Maori people, work is taken up in English, and we find that in this way the native people are not , , , , , . only gaining a knowl- edge ot the gospel, but are also learning to speak and understand English better. Elders Maw and Lauritzen are both laboring among the natives, and in outlining the work for them to take up, it is done in the most sim- ple way, in order that it can be readily understood. "In order to create an interest in the class and that all may take part, a class question is assigned each week to the entire class on the following week's lesson, and the following week, before the lesson is given, this question is asked. For the class to be able to answer this question it is necessary for them to study the lesson. A great deal of interest is taken in this class question and in most instances the entire class have studied the lesson. Also in connection with this class question, we have a class quota- tion. The entire class is asked to be able to quote either the article of faith under consideration, or a passage of scripture with that particular article The passages are chosen by the presidency in outlining the work and are assigned a week previous to the entire class. "We find that the Improvemment Era is a great help to us in our Mutual work; in fact, we feci that it is indispensable,"

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