Editors’ Table

& i | j 1 { ! I { | L JL/^csJP* ;!r,:fr5rs;k,, ■ ■■.■■■■■■■■ Close of Volume Twenty-four With the November number the Improvement Era enters its 25th year, this number closing the 24th volume. We thank our patrons for their interest in the magazine, and solicit a re- newal from all our subscribers, and trust that many additional subscribers may be added to our family of readers. We extend our thanks to the officers of the Y. M. M. I. A. whose faithful labor has enabled us to increase our circulation steadily. With- out their efficent help it would not be possible to print a maga- zine like the Era for the price of $2.00 per annum. We ask them to continue their valuable services in soliciting readers for the Era, so that every family throughout the Church may be visited and invited to subscribe. In this number there is a blank order on the 4th page of the announcement of the new volume, upon which we invite each present reader to renew his sub- scription without further solicitation. A personal letter, how- ever, is sent in addition. As in the past, we can promise ex- cellent subject-matter, consisting of sermons, doctrinal essays and literary articles, the best that can be had from a corps of leading men and women of the Church. Attention will specially be paid, in the departments, to the Priesthood Quor- ums and their labor and study, to Mutual Improvement work, to Church schools and education, and to missionaries in the mis- sionary field and at home. Good stories will also appear; and, on the whole, we promise every member of the family a wealth of faith-promoting and interesting reading. With thanks to all who have aided us in any way, we enter upon the quarter-cen- tury year of the Improvement Era with full faith and confidence in the success of our efforts, and with thanks and blessings to those who have so nobly aided us. A Standard of Action for the Lesser Priesthood It is the love of God and man, as declared by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, * * * and thy neighbor as thyself." (Matthew 22:37.) These commandments are reiterated to the Prophet Joseph Smith in our own day, in these words:

EDITORS' TABLE. 1121 "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy might, mind, and strength; and in the name of Jesus Christ thou shalt serve him. Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." (Doctrine and Covenants 59:5-6.) In order that we may put these commandments into prac- tice, we will try to Think and act a loving thought each day. And that we may fit this instruction into our characters, we will try to cultivate in our daily actions the love which Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, so beautifully analyzed (I Cor. 13:4-6) : (1) Love suffereth long, (2) and is kind; (3) love envieth not; (4) love vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up. (5) Doth not behave itself unseemly, (6) seeketh not her own, (7) is not easily provoked, (8) thinketh no evil; (9) Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth. From this analysis the folowing elements of love long since have been deduced: 1. Patience 4. Humility 7. Good Temper 2. Kindness 5. Courtesy 8. Guilelessness 3. Generosity 6. Unselfishness 9. Sincerity From these spring a multitude of small things and ordin- ary virtues which all may practice daily. So shall we learn to love God and our fellow men with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strength. Further analysis may be made from month to month in the Era to aid the young men bearing the Priesthood to put into practice these wonderful elements of love. Let it not be said that love is effeminate and impractical of applica- tion to the ordinary daily life. These nine ingredients of love are very capable of being turned to account in any person's daily acts. By these he would be brought much closev to the first and second great commandments upon which "hang all the law and the prophets." And the nearer one is to them the better citi- zen, neighbor, man, and Latter-day Saint he will be. Let us try how to practice patience to start with. — A. Instructions to Bishops and Counselors The Presiding Bishopric of the Church have issued circular number thirteen, giving instructions to bishops and counselors, and stake and ward clerks in the Church, intended to aid these officers in transacting the business of the Church within their jurisdiction. The circular is sent out with a hope that those having business with the Presiding Bishopric will become fa- miliar with the instructions, and further that the Presiding Bishopric will have the faithful cooperation and assistance of the stake and ward authorities.

1122 IMPROVEMENT ERA. One of the valuable instructions relating to ward teachers is that they are advised that all who are called to labor as acting teachers are requested to attend the teacher-training class in the ward. Another instruction relates to candidates prepared to re- ceive the Aaronic Priesthood. Their names should be submitted to the congregation of the Saints for approval, and the ordina- tion should take place before the body of the Saints at some stated period, preferably once a month. A very interesting feature relating to the foreign mission- aries, their departure and return, reads as follows: When persons are sent on missions it is a pleasing custom to hold a ward entertainment for them. This is a general practice. When they come back, having completed a noble mission, it would be a deserved mark of re- spect to give them a public reception to show our joy at their return, and let them know their coming home is as greatly appreciated as their going away. We think this is a step in the right direction. Certainly when missionaries return to their homes, full of faith and the spirit of the gospel, having labored from two to four years in the mission field in behalf of the great cause for which we are all striving, their return home should not be left unnoticed as has often been the case. Generally when they leave they are given an entertainment and often means to aid them in their journey. On their return it is to be hoped that every ward will pay as much attention to them, as they did on their going into the mis- sion field, and, furthermore, place them where they may have some work to do, both temporal and spiritual. On the whole, the pamphlet, containing some 72 pages of matter, with an index, is of great value to the authorities of the wards, and will be found a worthy aid in producing concerted action, unity and harmony, in the labors of the priesthood. — A Messages from the Missions New Meeting House in Australia Elder Milton B. Jensen, writing from Melbourne, Australia, August 1, says; "We are to have a meetinghouse in Melbourne, the capital of Australia. It has three-quarters of a million population and a multitude of churches. The Latter-day Saints are to erect this meetinghouse, and have already 300 feet of concrete foundation on a $3,000 building site in East Melbourne. This may not mean much to the casual reader, but to the people here it means a great deal, and is a partial fulfilment of the dream of the Saints who have watched and worked for the establishment of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints upon a permanent basis in the city of Melbourne. Besides, it represents the hopes of other scores of elders who have labored in this Conference during the past quarter of a century. In November, 1919, a benefit concert was given under direction of President Calvin B. Bobbins, resulting in the obtaining of $100 as a nest egg in tbe treasury.

EDITORS' TABLE. 1123 In December of that year a building committee was organized consisting of Conference President M. B. Jensen, chairman; Raymond Kneale, Secre- tary; Ernest Burness, John Caley and Arthur Butler. Numerous entertain- ments have since been held for the benefit of the fund. The elders and friends have donated both time and money, and the Church authorities in Zion have been very generous in rendering assistance. Besides, we have just received a substantial sum from the Australian Society comprising Australian Saints of Zion and elders who have labored in the Australian mission. Architect Leonard F. Hocking, though not a member of the Church, has drawn the plan for us and assisted in the numerous difficulties m my/mi 1 Np^^^^^^y-^*8^. I Proposed Latter-day Saints Building, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia which have arisen, and besides, stands ready to donate his service as ovei- seer of the building. The work has taken on new life and activity since the recent grant of the Government permitting the entrance of twenty-four missionaries into the Commonwealth A Relief Society has been organized in Melbourne. The elders are being received with kindness and respect, and frequently the acceptance of the gospel is a result; and many are wait- ing for the truth of the gospel and salvation as offered by the Latter-day Saints. Five elders are laboring in Melbourne at present, and we are praying for the removal of the restrictions that limit the number of elders in Australia." Successful Branch Conference in Virginia V President John B. Magleby of the Virginia conference, Southern States mission, writes that the Saints and missionaries of the Haron branch re- cently enjoyed the best branch conference ever held there. Large numbers attended all sessions. Many of the Saints from Roanoke and Boonsville branches were present. President John B. Magleby presided and con- ducted the meeting on Saturday evening. Three meetings were held dur- ing Sunday, also a Priesthood meeting, on Monday morning. A feature of

1124 IMPROVEMENT ERA. the conference was the beautiful singing and music. In the third session Sisters Ruth and Rachael Henderson and Ruby Wade sang "Love at Home" accompanied by Sister Mamie Goins on the violin. Elders Magleby, Sant, and Wood sang "Arise, my soul, arise." Several thoughtful addresses were delivered by the elders on principles of the gospel, which were inspirations to all who attended. Many new homes churches, and school houses, are being opened to the elders. Seventy-five baptisms have been performed since May 1 in Virginia. Elders of the Virginia conference, left to right: Walter B. Waldron, Morgan; James I. Batty, Wallsburg; Allan G. Wood, Salt Lake City; Raymond H. Ward, Ogden; John B. Magleby, Monroe, Conference President; and Dewey Sanford, Delta, all of Utah. Mission Conference presidents, missionaries and Saints at the Presi- dents' convention, held July 9-11, 1921, at Durham House, Liverpool. Center row; Thos. M. Wheeler, secretary European mission; Sister Lillywhite, John P. Lillywhite, president Netherland's mission; Sister Smith, President George Albert Smith, President Orson F. Whitney, Sister Whitney, Carl E. Peterson, president Danish mission; Serge T. Ballif, president Swiss and German mission; Elder Junius F. Wells, Elder William -A. Morton, and Conference presidents, missionaries and Saints.

EDITORS' TABLE. 1125 Famous Pianist Interested in the Era Melvin Freebairn, Los Angeles, California, writes under date of Aug- ust 15: "My missionary experience has taught me the value of the Improve- ment Era, and I place it above any other current publication in assisting us to preach the gospel in the mission field. I had the opportunity some evenings ago of preaching the gospel to the famous pianist Jaroslaw de Zielinski. He became very much interested L. the Erat, a copy of which I left with him. Since last April, Elder Wayne C. Gardner and I have held Sunday School and preaching services regularly in Hollywood, California. We have over seventy-eight families in this district." Doings in the Northern States Mission 4 1 1 M i | Back row — left to right: Willard Burgess, Harold A. Wood, Walter G. Koplin, Lynn Jensen, Samuel W. Orme, Matthew Alleman and Hyrum 0. Eitner. Third row: R. M. Pugmire, C. E. Christensen, S. R. Brewster, Niels Abelin, W. Ellis Wiltbank, Bland Ahlstrom, Francis A. Cox, and Earl F. Passey. Second Row: Elva Allen; C. H. Teuscher, former Conference President; Emily W. Smith, wife of President Smith; Winslow F. Smith, mission president; Anna Lewis; Nephi N. Probst, conference president; La- vern Abelin. First row: Christian Feinauer; Bryan L. Bunker, retiring Michigan conference president; Preston Heninger. The Wisconsin Conference June 18-19, was the big event of the month for the Saints and missionaries of Wisconsin, and was one of the best quarterly conferences held in years. There was a large attendance of mem- bers from all parts of the state, as well as many interested friends and investigators. Three meetings were held in Milwaukee, and a fourth meet- ing was held in Racine. Prominent among those who spoke at the dif- ferent sessions were President W. F. Smith, President Heber Q. Hale, of the Boise stake of Zion, and Nicholas G. Morgan of the Church Board of

1126 IMPROVEMENT ERA. Y. M. M. I. A. The scouts of Troop 10, Logan Square Branch, Chicago, spent the period, July 25 to August 6, at Camp Checaugau, which is a large Boy Scout camp located in the Deer Grove Forest Preserve near Palatine, Il- linois. There are only thirteen boys in the troop, but every one is alive and great interest is shown in scouting. Of the nine boys who went to camp as Tenderfoot scouts, seven of them successfully pass- ed their Second Class tests. Honors were won by several of the boys in- dividually; and the flag shown in the picture was awarded to them at the last inspection before leaving camp for having the highest score. Interest Those appearing in the picture are as follows: among the boys is keen, left to right, back row: Elder Francis A. Cox, and the prospects are assistant scoutmaster; Edward Bischoff, patrol bright for much good leader; Whitney Smith, patrol leader; Albert work being done this Bristricky; Elder H. Harries Lloyd, scoutmaster, winter. — M. J. Urie. Baptisms in Samoa A. L. Huntsman, of the Samoan Mission, reports a very successful baptismal service, held July 24, at Pesega, at which six people were bap- tized by Elder Huntsman. He says: "We have organized a new branch in Matootua. the residential part of Samoa's business men, and near the Government hospital. Three of the new converts were of this branch, and they were Ma'atuse, a very prominent clerk of the High Court; Talu, his sister; and Talassa. The confirmation was performed in the afternoon. Some 120 Saints and investigators were in attendance at the meeting and were greatly impressed with the simplicity of our mode of confirmation. We are encouraged with the prospects of this branch — to be one of Samoa's best, owing to the prominence of its members and the sincerity which now exists. The native Saints are very true to the gospel and we are very proud to employ their diligence." Mission to Palestine Professor Booth, of the Brigham Young University, has been released from school duties and is to go on a mission to Asia Minor, including Pal- estine, where there is now religious freedom. Mutual Work Thriving in Illinois Elder Oliver Hansen writing from Springfield, Illinois, reports success in the labors of the missionaries in that branch achieved through diligent and consistent effort. "Our Mutual work is thriving under the leadership of our branch officers. We think the Era is an efficient missionary. In placing the gospel before investigators, we find that the Improvement Era stimulates the desire to read our other literature. It furnishes us with food for thought, and we thank you for the work you are doing and for