--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Peery, Joseph S. collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 22 number: 6 published: 1919-04 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'Peery, Joseph S., "A Baby—an Eternal Blessing," *Improvement Era* 22, no. 6 (April 1919): 484.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera2206unse 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: improvementera2206unse start_page: 484 end_page: 484 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1919-04) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera2206unse 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. --- # A Baby—an Eternal Blessing 484 IMPROVEMENT ERA announced, "He seems better. I think that he will pull through." With a great thankfulness in his heart, the father turned toward the east window where the gray light filtered through. It fell on the white bud of an Easter lily, just bursting into bloom. He felt that it was the symbol of a new life. A Baby— an Eternal Blessing By Joseph S. Peery, Superintendent Y. M. M .1. A., Liberty Stake The greatest of all creations is a baby. A baby is a human soul that lives forever. It lived before it came to this life. It comes to this life in school for development. In the next life it will have opportunities to go on and eternally progress and advance. The Creator of Heaven and Earth made that baby in his own image. At first a baby is helpless, wholly dependent on others. In twenty years, as President Lorenzo Snow observed, the baby attains a development that is wonderful, becomes an inventor and does great things for humanity. If in twenty years that baby can learn so much, certainly, with its Father in Heaven as its tutor, and through ages of eternity, it is reasonable that the little baby can become like its Maker. Earthly things perish. The baby lives forever. Being the climax of all creations, what a wonderful thing, what a splendid — possession a baby in the home! Marriage is a great blessing, ordained by the Almighty. Complying with this injunction, a young couple obeys the first great commandment. They become the parents of a living soul, a wonderful privilege, far exceeding acquisition of gold or tem- porary earthly honors. "Children are an heritage of the Lord." Psalm 127:3. — Married in the Temple for time and all eternity, children are an eternal heritage, an eternal compensation for parents who obey God's first words to earth's first couple "Be fruitful, and : multiply, and replenish the earth."