--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Young Men's Mutual Improvement Associations collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 22 number: 3 published: 1919-01 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: "Young Men's Mutual Improvement Associations, “Editors’ Table: In Memoriam,” *Improvement Era* 22, no. 3 (January 1919): 264–265." source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera2203unse 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: improvementera2203unse start_page: 264 end_page: 265 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1919-01) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera2203unse publication_year: 1919 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 1919, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # Editors’ Table: In Memoriam EDITORS' TABLE In^Memoriam Joseph Fielding Smith 1838-1918 In the passing of President Joseph F. Smith out of this world, on the morning of November 19, 1918, the Young Men's Mutual Improvement Associations mourn the loss of their Gen- eral Superintendent for the third time since their organization in 1875 — General Superintendents Wilford Woodruff and Lorenzo Snow having preceded him into the World of Spirits, the Paradise of God. It was in the winter of 1875 that President Smith's interest was first enlisted in our work; and after the Central Committee was organized, December, 1876, to stand at the head, he was engaged as the friendly occasional adviser of its officers. It was in the autumn of 1877, however, that this interest began to as- sume the constancy and ever-increasing activity that was most valuable to the success of the Association, during their formative period. It was during this period that he prepared, especially for our benefit, his intensely interesting lecture upon the Life of Joseph the Prophet, which he delivered scores of times before many thousands of our members. By the end of 1879, about two hundred and forty associa- tions had been organized, with nearly ten thousand members. Our growing importance, as an anxiliary organization of the Church, then seemed to demand the appointment of an official advisory authority, including one of the Twelve Apostles, then the presiding quorum of the Church. This was asked for and, because of his exceeding sympathy and abounding interest in our work, that Elder Joseph F. Smith be so selected from their num- ber. Our request was met on the 6th of April, 1880, by the creation of the General Superintendency, and the appointment of three of the apostles, viz., Wilford Woodruff, Joseph F. Smith and Moses Thatcher to comprise it. EDITORS' TABLE 265 Although President Smith was called at the following Octo- ber Conference, to be a counselor in the First Presidency of the Church, he continued as First Assistant in the General Superin- tendency of the Y. M. M. I. A. throughout the administrations of Presidents John Taylor, Wilford Woodruff and Lorenzo Snow. Immediately following his own succession to the Presidency of the Church, he became our General Superintendent, in which office he has been regularly sustained since 1901 — not only sus- tained in it, but he has most faithfully administered its varied functions. It thus appears that, from the first year of our organization, he has been actively associated with it as adviser and counselor, during its formative period, and as First Assistant General Super- intendent, and later as General Superintendent, until his death, a period of forty-three years. As his associate officers and members of the General Board, we are in love and duty bound to record our sorrow in his de- parture from among us, and our joy in the reflection of his super- lative service while with us. He was the ideal officer in his place — never failing in direction, never lacking the word of counsel and encouragement that we needed. He was the friend and brother of each of us, severally, and had our unbounded confi- dence, admiration and love. He was so cordial in his fellowship and association with us that he was in very deed one of us. He never seemed to grow old. We never thought of him as being old. The abiding consciousness of his comradeship is our precious heritage from him — the memory of it, an inspiration and com- fort, while memory lasts — reminding us that we were the inti- mate companions of a veritable servant of the living God — His prophet, seer and revelator. The grandeur of his character shone among us with the deep glow of an effulgent seerstone, reflecting heights and breadths and depths of Intelligence that is the Glory of God. And so we knew and loved him; an inspired leader, a faith- ful counselor, a worthy exemplar. Blessed be his memory, forever! Approved by the General Superintendency and members of the General Board of the Y. M. M, I. A. this 9th day of Decern- ber, 1918.