---
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: 24
number: 3
published: 1921-01
publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations
publisher_place: Salt Lake City
language: en
type: magazine
reference: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations, *Improvement Era* 24, no. 3 (January 1921).
source:
  url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera2403unse
  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: improvementera2403unse
curator_note: Editorial foliation begins at printed p. 187 on PDF leaf 5; printed page = PDF leaf + 182. Advertising and unpaginated plates are omitted.
rights:
  status: public-domain
  basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1921-01)
  source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera2403unse
  publication_year: 1921
  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 1921, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright.
---

# Improvement Era, January 1921

<!-- Figure: cover design and masthead. -->
— :

   Improvement Era
Vol. XXIV.                     JANUARY, 1921.                          No. 3.

    A Message to the Youth of the Land'
           By Elder David O. McKay, of the Council of the Twelve

     It is an inspiration always to meet with the Latter-day Saints in
conference. I rejoice with you in having this opportunity of listening
to the words of love and inspiration with which this conference has
been favored. I am overwhelmed, as I stand here and face this large
interested audience, but I am free to say to you that if I had my choice
I would not choose to speak to you, men of the Priesthood, and faithful women in the Church.     I should prefer to give whatever message

I have in my heart to another audience, this morning, which is scattered all up and down these counties and towns and valleys of the
western states. I should like to speak to your boys and to your girls,
to their playmates wherever they may be.       However, since we have
but very few of them here, I shall have to speak to them through
you, because after all this conference, inspiring as it may be, is not
an end in itself. The purpose of it shall not have been attained until
the messages through you reach your sons and your daughters, and
your neighbors' sons and daughters. Your happiness, your peace,
depends upon your ability to get the message into their hearts.
TO BE CARNALLY-MINDED IS DEATH         TO BE SPIRITUALLY-MINDED IS LIFE
                               AND PEACE
    If they were here this morning I      would read the following text
"To be carnally-minded is death, but to be spiritually-minded is life and
                                 —
peace." Glorious words these life, peace.      The whole purpose and
end of existence is life, and to obtain in that life, peace. Eternal life
we have heard from Elder Richards, that the work and glory of God
                                                                   —
are to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man and our
purpose wherever we may be, is to live.
           THE HAPPY LIFE COMES FROM OBEDIENCE TO LAW
    I believe thatwe can meet our boys on that plane and appeal to
      Delivered at the General Conference, October 9, 1920.