A Vital Call

A Vital Call "Be ye clean that bear the vessels of the Lord." This wonderful sentence has been uttered of the Lord as an admoni- tion to mankind through many dispensations; first, perhaps, to Moses, then Isaiah, later to the ancient inhabitants of the Ameri- can continent, and last of all to the modern American prophet, Joseph Smith: "Go ye out from among the wicked, save your- selves, be ye clean that bear the vessels of the Lord." As a people we have long been taught that next to murder stands unchastity. Perhaps young people these days do not hear so much about it as the older ones did years ago. We think there is need for them to hearken, perhaps more today than ever before. If the injunction is not sounded in the ears of young people today, so much the worse for them, for under present conditions, the necessity is greater than ever. Cleanli- ness in thought and act ought to be burned into our very beings, even as it was burned into the souls of boys, girls, men and women in the early days. Years ago, when young men went out into the world on any mission, be it to preach the gospel, or to fight for liberty, they were not only, as now, earn- estly admonished to come back clean, but it was not uncommon to hear parents say, "we would rather you would return to us dead, than come back unclean." These admonitions were justi- fied, because unchastity sears and withers the soul, and per- sisted in, destroys all prospects of genuine happiness here and hereafter. Years of sorrow, regret and repentance, will scarcely redeem the unclean. No person can be a good Latter-day Saint who is not clean — both inside and out in mind and body. If either condition is to be preferred, it is better to be clean inside than outside. A man may have all the appearances of cleanliness on the outside, and yet be rotten on the inside to such an extent that no good thing can come out of him. No man can be spiritually alive and remain unclean. An unchaste man who does not repeat in sack- cloth and ashes can not remain in the Church, but must nec- essarily deny the faith. It is a fixed penalty. Clean thoughts lead to clean actions. The actions of the hypocrite, even when he appears clean, still savor of corrup- tion in his inward soul. It is the duty of parents to see that their children shall have clean books, clean associates, and

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clean surroundings. Nothing should be sung, or said, or done, in the presence of the young that is not pure. No story should ever be told that is filled with unclean thoughts; no promis- cuous association, or running about ungarded at night, on the part of boy or girl, should be permitted. Such things tend to uncleanliness. Parents who fail to surround their youths with elevating safeguards tending to moral protection are in grave danger of being held guilty of corrupting innocent souls. They will not be held guiltless before the Lord. Their own speech and actions, too, must be clean. Examples of purity, stories of great and good men, like Joseph and Nephi, should be held before and impressed upon the young and tender minds as safeguards against evil. The minds of the youth should be filled with revelations of the deeds of noble characters, in order that vile images and sug- gestions may skulk off to the corners of forgetfulness, and be overcome with good. The lives of great men and women, the lives of our leaders, plead with us to "be clean." The clear skies from the mountain tops, the sparkling eyes of childhood, the honorable teachers in the Church, the noble fathers and mothers in the home circle, and the very atmosphere of our glorious mountains, breathe cleanliness and courage. Let no young man or woman at home or in the armies forget their pleading call. For the sake of our family names, and the name of our Church, and for our own happiness and salvation, let us heed the vital command of the Father: "Be ye clean."

New Volume of the Era The twenty-first volume of the Improvement Era closes with thia number. We extend thanks to all the writers, and our sincere appreciation to the young men in all our organizations who have assisted us in circulating the magazine during the past year. Their labors have made it possible for us to con- tinue the magazine with its full number of pages of reading matter notwithstanding the excessive increase in cost of paper and other expenses connected with its publication under pre- vailing conditions. Volume 22, begins in November and we solicit the contin- ued aid of our friends in making the coming volume the best of all. Our readers are asked to use the blank order form in this issue to renew their subscriptions. All subscriptions will be credited to the ward. Promptness in sending in the order will insure their receiving the magazine without missing any number. Do not wait to be solicited. Notices of expiration