--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Levi Edgar Young collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 23 number: 9 published: 1920-07 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'Levi Edgar Young, "Sociological Aspect of “Mormonism”," *Improvement Era* 23, no. 9 (July 1920): 823–830.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera2309unse 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: improvementera2309unse start_page: 823 end_page: 830 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1920-07) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera2309unse 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. --- # Sociological Aspect of “Mormonism” Sociological Aspect of "Mormonism" By Levi Edgar Young, M. A., Professor of Western History, 'niuersity* of Utah "Mormonism" calls every man, woman, and child into the field of constructive social activity.It stands broadly upon the principle that every person is a child of God, and is endowed by his Creator with free-will to choose between right and wrong, intelligence and ignorance, light and darkness. In the Doctrine and Covenants we find the following, in Section 88:77-80, 117. 118: And I give unto you a commandment, that you shall teach one another the doctrine of the kingdom; teach ye diligently and my grace shall attend you, that you may be instructed more perfectly in theory, in principle, in doctrine, in the law of the gospel, in all things that pertain unto the kingdom of Cod, that are expedient for you to understand; of things both in heaven and in the earth, and under the earth; things which have been, things which are, things which must shortly come to pass; things which are at home, things which are abroad; the wars and the perplexities of the nations, and the judgments which are on the land, and a knowledge also of countries and of kingdoms, that ye may be prepared in all things when I shall send you again to magnify the calling whereunto I have called you, and the mission with which I have commissioned you. * * * Therefore, verily, I say unto you, my friends, call your solemn assembly, as I have commanded you; and as all have not faith, seek, ye diligently and teach one another words of wisdom; yea, seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom: seek learning even by study, and also by faith. "Mormonism" is essentially a utilitarian-idealistic religion; and holds that the earth is to be redeemed and made a paradise for the coming of Him who gave us eternal life. This earthly paradise will be the result of man's work in all the land, the building of beautiful homes and cities, the redemption of the land into fields of plenty, the perfecting of machinery for our growing economic demands, the learning and living of the laws which will preserve the sanctity of our bodies and souls; and the contributing of our higher life to the home, state, and nation. The "Mormon" people began life with a large idealism, an idealism well expressed in the Doctrine and Covenants: "Remember faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, brotherly kindness, godliness, charity, humility, diligence." To perfect life, every member of the Church must live the principles expressed by these words. The "Mormon" does not approach the world in the sense that God's children have all gone wrong, and cannot be redeemed, but with the larger vision, that man is 824 IMPROVEMENT ERA looking toward his God for light and truth, which gives him God, freedom, and immortality, which enter as a dynamic force into a\\ of his activities. Holding firmly to the belief that the gospel of Christ is eminently creative and constructive, "Mormonism" stands in its social aspect as a religion which not only discovers the wrongs afflicting humanity, but applies the practical Christian doctrine to the problems with intelligence and persistency, which makes much of personality and emphasizes the sacredness of the individual. I think no one can doubt that human society is in a state of demoralization, and the most terrible indictment today against the Christian denominations is the fact that they fail to solve the social problems. They have no constructive program conducive to a larger peace and hope for men, for they are founded upon an apostheosis of doctrine, formal and out of harmony with our present day ideals and demands. The very spirit of the organization of the "Mormon" Church makes it imperative that every member of it becomes a worker, which is conducive at the outset to a larger hope and life. Every man holds himself a minister of God, and opens his intellectuality and makes himself morally qualified to assume his divine call. Yet this state of mind is not a resultant of dogmatism, nor of a dogmatically emotional interpretation of life. It is a mind of the critically-intellectual type, resulting from the initiative, resourcefulness, and idealism of the people as a whole, giving them the joy of newly awakened powers. The Doctrine and Covenants, Section 93:29-37, says: Man was also in the beginning with God. Intelligence, or the light of truth, was not created or made, neither indeed can be. All truth is independent in that sphere in which God has placed it, to act for itself, as all intelligence also, otherwise there is no existence. Behold, here is the agency of man, and here is the condemnation of man, because that which was from the beginning is plainly manifest unto them, and they receive not the light. And every man whose spirit receiveth not the light is under condemnation, For man is spirit. The elements are eternal, and spirit and element, inseparably connected, receiveth a fulness of joy; And when separated, man cannot receive a fulness of joy. The elements are the tabernacle of God; yea, man is the tabernacle of God, even temples; and whatsoever temple is defiled, God shall destroy that temple. The glory of God is intelligence, or, in other words, light and truth; Light and truth forsaketh that evil one. • Practically every man in the "Mormon" Church holds the Priesthood of God. This is fraught with meaning. A man with such power must live always according to the laws of Jesus Christ, and must therefore be an exemplary citizen. He knows that the glory of man is his intelligence, and that, "Whatever SOCIOLOGICAL ASPECT OF "MORMONISM" 825 principles of intelligence we attain unto in this life, will rise with us in the resurrection." He is directed by his faith in God in all his daily work; he develops the larger altruism which alone can discover the social ills of his fellow beings. With such ideals, he is working co-operatively within the Church to perfect the five basic institutions of civilization; the family, the church, the state, the school, and the industrial life. In "Mormonism," woman is emancipated and her work is idealized. She takes her place beside her husband as a real help-mjate. "Thou shalt love thy wife with all thy heart, and shalt cleave unto her and none else." She enters civic and political life, and her social privileges have ever been held sacred. The history of the Church shows that it has encouraged the individualization of woman as well as her sacred influence in society. The ideal of the family rests upon an eternal parenthood, which loves children, and gives them a welcome at the family hearth. The parents live for their children, and the home is a happy social and religious unit. In fact, the "Mormon" home socializes the religious idealism of the people which is perfecting the common human life. In every ward of the "Mormon" Church, a parents' class has been organized for the discussion of the problems of married life and all thing pertaining to the home. In one of the Salt Lake City stakes recently, the classes discussed the following subjects: "Proper Care of the Baby," "The Unruly Boy," "Proper Games for Children," "Friendship Between Parents and Children," "Proper Amusements for Children." Good results have already been noted from this work of the Sunday schools, and a higher ideal of parenthood is taught to old and young alike. The parent classes now number thousands of members, and they are gradually sifting out the errors of parenthood. The "Mormon" parent loves children to come into the world as a result of the solemn joy of creative purpose. Professor Peabody, of Harvard University, says that the "family is the world's first and greatest venture in altruism. Its permanent foundation is nothing less than a self -forgetting love, which gives itself to its partner without computation of gain. It is safe when it is prized for what one can give to it." In the light of "Mormon" doctrine: "Man in his fulness is a two-fold organization — male and female. Either being incapable of fulfiling the measure of its creation alone, it requires the union of the two to complete man in the image of God. Outside of marriage, the salvation of man is incomplete." The bond for eternity makes marriage to the "Mormon" most sacred, and this very idea is conducive to high moral standards within the home. A movement has been recently inaugurated which makes it imperative for the father of the family to have a night at home with his wife and all his 826 IMPROVEMENT ERA children. It is the social evening for the family. As head of the household, the father calls upon the children for various forms of entertainment, and after talks with them about their activities and purposes in life, he closes the evening's pleasure with a sacred hymn and prayer to God. Parents are living closer to their children; children in turn are coming to have greater love and respect for the parents. Disobedience in the "Mormon" home among children is destined to be minimized. The home among the "Mormon" people has many influences that are conducive to culture. From nearly every household one or more boys go into the mission field to spend all the way from two to four years of their youth. At one time over 1,500 young men were laboring in the various countries of Europe, and one can well imagine the training this would be to them. They come in touch with the art galleries of the larger cities; they visit the schools and universities, where lectures are often heard; they learn the music of Wagner, Beethoven and Mozart; they visit the homes of Luther, Calvin, and Knox, Dante, and Columbus, and partake of the spirit of their teachings; they note new customs and ideals, and finally return to their native state filled with enthusiasm for a larger life and a bolder spirit for social and civil activities. It may be truthfully said about the youth of Utah that they are readers of books and lovers of good literature and art. It would require much space to describe the activities of all the various associations and divisions of the priesthood of the "Mormon" Church. Of the Aaronic Priesthood, there are the deacons, teachers, and priests; of the Melchizedek, elders, seventies and high priests. All of these are organized into various quorums or groups with similar duties and responsibilities; all are pursuing definite lines of work that are conducive to their intellectual development. For example, there are two hundred and five quorums of Seventy, comprising twelve thousand men. These quorums have their regular outline for study, and teachers have charge of the work. They have not only used text books for study, but most of the quorums, if not all, have begun the acquiring of a good library of historical, philosophic, and religious books. Every seventy has an interest in the welfare of his brother, and when a father and husband is absent in the mission field, he knows that his family will be visited and helped by his brethren. The motto of the Seventies is, "To become a 'Seventy' means mental activity, intellectual development, and the attainment of spiritual power." In an outline and text used by this organization in 1910-1911, the doctrine of Deity was discussed. Not only was the "Mormon" conception of Deity presented, but all the ancient and modern conceptions of God were studied, including those of Spinoza, Locke, Kant, Fichte, SOCIOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF "MORMONISM" 827 Schleiermacher, Hegel, Spencer, and Fiske of the modern school. The analysis of the various theories was clear and scholarly, and it meant that 12,000 men of one organization alone in the priesthood were receiving a knowledge in the fundamentals of philosophy and metaphysics. When one realizes that in every quorum are all classes of men, the banker, doctor, lawyer, professor, mason, carpenter, street sweeper, etc., one may sense something of the true spirit of democracy that "Mormonism" is capable of engendering in the human heart. The interesting social organizations of the Church, however, are the Auxiliary societies comprising the Relief Society, the Young Ladies' and Young Men's Mutual Improvement Associations, the Sunday school, the Primary Association, the Religion Classes, and Genealogical Society. These are all, with one exception, essentially for the benefit of the youth and the children; but the Relief Society is for the purpose of administering to the poor and needy, the sick and afflicted, and comforting the sorrowing soul. The enrollment in the Young Men's and Young Ladies' organization together approaches 100,000 boys and girls. In every ward of the Church, and there are nearly 1,000, there is such a society for both the girls and boys. Meetings are held every week, and special subjects studied. An outline is prepared for each year's work, and every member is required to study it. In 1911-1912, the subject was The Making of a Citizen; in 1912-13, The Individual and Society; and in 1910-11, a series of three repeating manuals on Character: "Conduct," "Cour- — age" and "Success" for the Junior classes. In the latter outline, I find quotations from and references to Thayer's Ethics of Success, Dr. David Starr Jordan's Strength of Being Clean, Samuel Smiles' Thrift, Emerson's Essay's, Elbert Hubbard's "A Message to Garcia," and many others. The Manual is a splendid little work on ethics, and might be used to advantage in any school of our country. The Manual entitled The Making of a Citizen is a splendid work on citizenship, and when it is realized that thousands of men and boys studied this book, men and boys who work at their vocations by day, one may readily understand its far-reaching effects. This in the Y. M. M. I. A. The Mutual Improvement Associations throughout the Church have saved thousands of boys and girls who would have passed through life without high motives and clean lives. They are essentially the societies for the youth, and are great moral and intellectual factors in sustaining the boys and girls in their battles against sin and wrong. If I were asked what the Mutual Improvement societies preeminently do for the youth, my reply would be: "They mould the boys and girls into sane, strong, aggressive spirits, who look up to God in faith and dare to do right." 828 IMPROVEMENT ERA The auxiliary organization of the Church, however, that baa created wide-spread interest in America is the Relief Society, Organised by Joseph Smith, March 17, 1842. An organization composed of the women, it now numbers over 50,000 members. Its special work is "to administer to the sick and afflicted, clothe the naked, feed the poor, to admonish in the ways of righteousness, to correct morals, and to strengthen the virtues of the community." Every ward has its Society, and during the year 1914, 540 wards out of 777, reported 33,000 visits to the sick, 4,172 families helped, and 1,490 bodies prepared for burial. It is interesting to note what some of the ward organizations do in real charity. In the Liberty ward of Bear Lake stake, the women take lunch and spend a day during the holidays with each aged family of the ward. In St. Charles ward, during 1919, fifty aged women and widows were entertained at their own homes. In the Willard ward of Boxelder stake, at last Thanksgiving day, the Relief Society sent a dinner to all the aged people. In South Ephraim ward, all the sisters sewed one-half day each for the motherless children in the ward. Note another phase of the work. In Trenton ward, Bear Lake stake, the society numbers forty members. In this small district alone $137.05 was raised for the Belgian Relief Fund. In the Pioneer stake of Salt Lake City, the stake Society maintains a maternity cabinet for emergency cases and "Mormon" physicians are on the list to give aid to the poor if it be needed. For the relief of the needy, the sisters of Chester, Sanpete county, donate all the eggs that are laid on Sunday. In 1915, these eggs amounted in cash value to $219.18. In Round Valley, in Bear Lake stake, the Sunday eggs amounted to $170. In Spring City, Sanpete stake, every member of the Relief Society raises her summer and winter vegetables from her kitchen garden. In all the wards, the women make quilts and carpets for the poor. Most of he societies have stored their wheat away in large granaries. The net resources of the general organization of all the Relief societies amounts to $510,536.05. The society had over 200,000 bushels of wheat stored in granaries, a fact indicating their economic wisdom. Another interesting social phase of "Mormonism" is the manner in which the Church directs the amusements of ihs youth. At Salt Lake City, there has recently been erected a gymnasium costing $250,000 which has become the center for athletic work for both boys and girls. Many boys who would be idling their time away find here recreation and joy. It has been a great factor in directing the youth in their play, and its influence is felt all over the state. But interesting above all is the manner in which the "Mormon" people make of their ward recreation houses social centers. Youngr and old seek SOCIOLOGICAL ASPECT OF "MORMONISM" 829 amusements, and what amusements should be encouraged is a vita] question for all people interested in the social uplift of the youth of our land. Today, the Church is erecting beautiful places of worship all over the West. One may find in the most remote towns buildings that would be ornaments to any community. These church buildings have their hall for divine service, but under the same roof is an amusement hall, where the boys and girls hold their dances, and give their dramatic performances. Can it be any wonder that the "Mormon" people developed a love for the best of literature and art. Mr. M. B. Leuvitt has recently said in his book, Fifty Years of the American Theatre: "Sweeping as the statement may seem, I do not believe that the theatre has ever rested upon a higher plane, both as to its purpose and its offerings, than at Salt Lake City, the capital of 'Mormonism.' " One passing a meetinghouse almost any night or afternoon, will find there either divine service or some stimulating social activity. There is a Christian activity in "Mormonism" that makes the entire system dynamic and constructive. There is the consciousness of serving God by serving man. The "Mormon" makes of his religion a matter of human service. The whole scheme fosters economic, civic, social, and ethical activity, and the people all co-operate in their work with a spirit of initiative, enterprise, and high purpose. Behind their social work lie deep religious ideals, which are values of great magnitude, for they are conducive to a real progressivism, which justifies the naive and daily practical hope that they may some day have wisdom, power, harmony, long life, virtue, friends, universal happiness, together with the removal of fear, pain, sin, death, and all the innumerable miseries that now beset us. Man is taught not to adjust his ideals to reality, but to take his higher religious idealism and, with clean heart and a broad cosmic outlook, solve the problems of the practical life, which in time will result in a greater spirituality individually and socially. The living up to the very letter of the Word of Wisdom alone will be one great means of lifting their social conditions to the highest level attainable by any people, for they are promised: All saints, who remember to keep and do these things, walking in obedience to the commandments, shall receive health in their navel, and marrow to their bones, and shall find wisdom and great treasures of knowledge, even hidden treasures; and shall run and not be weary, and shall walk and not faint; and I, the Lord, gives unto them a promise, that the destroying angel shall pass by them, as the children of Israel and not slay them. "Mormonism" will always be dynamic rather than static. This is inherent in the very theory of the religion. From age 830 IMPROVEMENT ERA to age; from generation to generation, new men arise to give a larger and greater view as to the meaning of life and life's principles. Thus new truths pass into the social consciousness. The most valuable possession that society has is its mass of cultural ideas. * * * Its greatest men are those who think out new thoughts and add to the sum total of human achievement. "Mormonism's" chief interest in education is to see to it that these great ideas be enlarged, unified, taught and utilized for social progress. It is interested in the rise of men who will add to these ideas, it desires the broadening of scientific knowledge, and the multiplication of inventions for lifting from human shoulders the necessity of wearisome, physical toil, so that the people as a whole may enjoy leisure. In its philosophic aspects, it anticipates the time when the great truths of ethics, religion, and philosophy may be presented so clearly to the human mind that men may emancipate themselves from bondage to ignorance, and become free in will and in mind. The education, therefore, in which "Mormonism" is interested from a sociological viewpoint is not that taught in the schools alone, but rather the teaching of those ideas that arouse men, as Kant put it "from dogmatic slumber," and inspire in them a desire to engage in the never-ending search for the holy grail of truth. There's a Home Across the Sea There is a home across the sea Where the sweetest lilacs grow, Where croon the robins tenderly, And the sego lilies blow. And my heart is ever dreaming Of that home I love so well, Where the silver moon is gleaming On a peaceful garden dell. There's a window light a shining Through the lilac bushes there, There's a heart that's ever pining And a soul who kneeis in prayer; Now I hear a voice a-calling, Calling tenderly to me As the shades of night are falling O'er my home across the sea. All the day my thoughts are turning To that home across the sea, And my heart is sadly yearning For those waiting there for me. But I am coming o'er the foam Where the sweetest lilacs grow, Oh. loved ones, I am coming home Where the sego lilies blow. Lawrence J. Sorensen.