--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Steele, Charles F. collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 23 number: 3 published: 1920-01 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'Steele, Charles F., "Southern Sketches—III," *Improvement Era* 23, no. 3 (January 1920): 247–248.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera2303unse 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: improvementera2303unse start_page: 247 end_page: 248 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1920-01) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera2303unse publication_year: 1920 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 1920, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # Southern Sketches—III SOUTHERN SKETCHES 249 been one of the Three Nephite apostles who were graciously permitted by the Christ to tarry on the earth until he should return in glory. Said the risen Lord to the three apostles, discerning their desires: "Behold, I know your thoughts, and ye have desired the thing which John, my beloved, who was with me in my ministry, before that I was lifted up by the Jews, desired of me; therefore more blessed are ye, for ye shall never taste of death, but ye shall live to behold all the doings of the Father, unto the children of men, even until all things shall be fulfilled, according to the will of the Father, when I shall come in my glory, with the powers of heaven and ye shall never endure the pains ; of death; but when I shall come in my glory, ye shall be changed in the twinkling of an eye from mortality to immortality: and then shall ye be blessed in the kingdom of my Father" (Book of Mormon, III Nephi, 28:6-8). Additional testimony that this prophet may have been one of the Three Nephite apostles was furnished the writer by Patriarch David F. Fawns, of Raymond, Canada. Elder Fawns fulfilled a mission in Georgia, over twenty years ago. On this mission much of his time was spent in Augusta. He testifies that while standing beside the Pillar, a personage approached and stood before him. Twice this manifestation appeared, and so vividly impressed was he that he can to this day minutely describe the person and his garb. His glorious, radiant countenance is one that will bless Elder Fawn's memory for ever, he declares. The accompanying cut is an excellent view of the Pillar. The picture was taken in November, 1918, showing the Pillar to be perfectly preserved. It is an object of wonder and curiosity to the people of Augusta in general. To the Latter-day Saints it is especially significant, for it indicates to them that the three ancient American apostles are engaged in ministering among us as the Savior commissioned them to do, centuries ago. Raymond/, Alia, Canada Don't You Remember? don't you remember the free flowing stream, We wandered beside, 'neath the moon's mellow beam, The deep fragrant gloom of the wide-spreading tree, The tremulous, clustering stars o'er the lea? Whene'er the kind stars cluster o'er the fair lea, 1 wander again 'neath the wide-spreading tree; And oft 'neath the smile of the moon's mellow beam I hear, through the woodland, the deep-sounding stream. Minnie Iverson Hodapp Prophecies and Promises of the Lord As Recorded in the Book of Doctrine and Covenants Study Course for Joint Advanced Senior M. I. A. Classes, 1919-20 LESSON XIII.—INCREASE OF INTELLIGENCE Webster defines intelligence as the capacity to know or understand, readiness of comprehension. The Lord declares intelligence to be "the light of truth," and further declares that it is self-existent or uncreated. Sec. 93:29. Each person's intelligence must therefore be a segregated or individual portion of the "light of truth," which forms the intellectual indviduality of the person. From Webster's point of view one's intelligence at any time or place would mean his capacity to understand and his speed to understand. "The light of truth" comes to us through our being acted upon from the sources of truth from without, and by our responding to these truth — forces the accumulated intelligence from without, and growth in intelligence from within; or, in other words, we increase our intelligence by external stimulation, and by internal exercise. The external sources of intelligence are environment, investigation, instruction, and divine inspiration. The chief internal exercise, for the expansion of intelligence, is study which includes enquiry, thought, and faith. A verification of this point of view will be found in sec. 88:118. Oliver Cowdery lost a divine gift by neglecting to take a student's attitude. Sec.9:8. His mistake lay in his attempt to make faith a substitute for work, and the Lord made plain to him that the part faith was to play, in his case, was that of testing the result of effort. The Prophet Joseph's attitude was always that of a student, and although under the direct tutorship of the Son of God and messengers from heaven, he sought an increase of intelligence along lines indicated by Sec. 88:118. He lived in obedience to the commandment recorded in Sec. 88:78, 79, 118. laziness is not merely admonished against, but its pres- Intellectual ence forbidden. "The idler shall not eat the bread of the laborer." is How can he who is guilty of mental indolence expect even a saving advance in intelligence, much less any hope of exaltation? That the intelligence of any individual will be the standard of divine measurement of that individual's glory, is difinitely and clearly set forth in Sec. 93:36. Through faith, intelligence is increased by prayer. At this point one or more brief testimonies might be borne concerning receiving the light of truth through prayer. Who has not experienced that one may be made wiser by prayer, a means provided for our keeping up our correspondence with the Lord? Our. intelligence is increased through ordinances of the gospel. Through baptism we receive the Holy Ghost, and from it special spiritual gifts, as the gift of wisdom, the gift of healing, the gift of tongues,