--- 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: 25 number: 8 published: 1922-06 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations, "Editors’ Table," *Improvement Era* 25, no. 8 (June 1922): 735–745.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera2508unse 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: improvementera2508unse start_page: 735 end_page: 745 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1922-06) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera2508unse publication_year: 1922 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 1922, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # Editors’ Table Proclaiming the Gospel Through the Air A new epoch in methods of preaching the gospel was in- troduced on the 6th of May when the Deseret News Radio sta- tion was formally dedicated, with speeches and musical selec- tions broadcasted. President Heber J. Grant spoke into the transmitter at 8 o'clock p. m., and gave a message to the people of the world, saying as follows: "This is my message to the people of the world, a quotation from the Doctrine and Cove- nants, known as Section 76, a revelation to Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon." He then quoted five paragraphs (76:40-42, 23, 24), and continued: "I bear witness to all mankind that Joseph Smith was a prophet of the true and the living God." Mayor C. Clarence Neslen then spoke into the instrument and congratulated the people of the state and the intermountain region. He was followed by Mrs. Heber J. Grant, who, among other things said: "I would not be surprised if we were talk- ing to the planets before many years. This is one of the most wonderful inventions of this or any other age." President Anthony W. Ivins said: "When the 'Mormon' pioneers entered the Salt Lake valley, in 1847, at which time the Pony Express was the most rapid means of communicated news from one point to another, they little dreamed that before a period of seventy-five years had passed, their children would talk to the world by wireless." Elder George Albert Smith, superintendent of the Y. M. M. I. A. followed. He heralded these words: "I have had many unique experiences in my life. I had the privilege of rid- ing the first bicycle that came into Salt Lake City, and the first pattern of safety bicycle that came here. I talked in the first telephone that came here and have talked over the long dis- tance telephone from San Francisco to New York. I have heard the Pacific and the Atlantic oceans rumbling over the wires. I have also had the pleasure of riding in an aeroplane from Brussels to London, at the rate, part of the time, of 100 miles an hour. "I have lived to see many wonderful things occur, as pre- dicted by the prophets of old, wherein it was stated that when 736 IMPROVEMENT ERA the Book of Mormon should first come forth, the Lord would commence his work among the nations, and we have lived to see more wonderful indications during the period of time since the coming forth of the Book of Mormon, that would contribute to the comfort and satisfaction of the human family, than have occurred in all the balance of time since the world was created. "And, now, to cap the climax, we have the opportunity of talking over a wireless telephone, and having it broadcasted to very many stations, scattered at intervals anywhere from 500 to 1,000 miles away. I had the privilege once of sending the first wireless telegram that was ever received by President Joseph F. Smith, when I was out in the Atlantic ocean, but I look upon this wireless telephone as the culmination of all the marvelous experiences to which the human family has thus far been heir, and I congratulate the people who live in this wonderful land of liberty, this country which is always foremost in matters of invention, and I am grateful, indeed, that my lot has been cast among a people who look forward to every good thing for the benefit and uplift of mankind." What the Professors Said Much interest has been awakened in the very short, but complimentary addresses which were given at the April An- nual Conference of the Church by Professor Thomas Nixon Carver, political economist and author; President Walter Ernest Clark, and President Charles A. Lory. A number of solicitations have come to the Improvement Era to print their remarks in full, and we gladly comply with the request: Thomas Nixon Carver (Of the Harvard University) I never expected to have such an honor as this in my life. I have been in this community a number of times and I have frequently thought that here was the best place in the world to study the science and art of nation-building in the field. My subject is Political Economy, sometimes called the science of statesmanship. Some things pertaining to this subject we can get out of books, but it seems to me that here is the one place in the world where we can see in operation, in the field itself, the processes going on under which a great nation is built. If "By their fruits ye shall know them," as your President has said, the "Mormons" must be a great people, for their fruits are good. I have not only been impressed, in several visits, by what EDITORS' TABLE 737 is to be seen in this immediate neighborhood. It has also been my privilege to visit some of the smaller communities in the southern part of the state and some in central Idaho; and in the small communities, as well as in the large, I have seen in operation the science and the art of community-building, which is nation-building in miniature, and everywhere it has my un- bounded admiration. I did not know what I was going to say when I got up. I have often had this in my mind, and I am very glad, now that it is over with, that I have had the opportunity of saying it. Though I was very much scared at first, I am very glad that I have had the privilege of saying what I have often thought. Walter E. Clark (President of the. University of Nevada) The world has made much advance in mechanical things, during our recorded race history. It has made relatively small advance in spiritual things. Your fathers in a marvelous pio- neer pilgrimage came into this valley, and with their hands builded here a perfect temple, that the souls might open in this temple towards the spiritual power, and, perhaps, in larger and larger measure, be imbued with that power from above. It is my belief and strong hope that in the years just ahead men are going to illuminate life in spiritual terms; that just as they have, within these twenty-five years, on the mechanical side, touched that marvelous thing we call radium and learned that it gives fifty million times the energy of other substances science has been handling, so there lies within us, if we will but open our souls and receive the endowment that freely has always been offered, many, many times the spirit power men have known. Mjy impress from the hours I have had in your city is that this people are holding their souls open, and the great Giver of life and power will answer their prayers. Charles A. Lory (President of the Agricultural College of Colorado) Friends and neighbors of Utah, this is not the first time I have had the privilege of being in this wonderful Tabernacle of yours, but it is the first time I have ever had the honor and privilege of speaking to so many of you at this place. We were entertained here in a splendid way when the Rotarians were here about three years ago; and all the memories we have of you people, of your Church, of your Tabernacle, of this won- derful city, are altogether good and on the positive side. Those of us who are charged with the work of education and with the 738 IMPROVEMENT ERA • work of building forward our civilization, cannot help but ad- mire the work that you are doing. As a young man, it was my privilege, first, to get acquainted with folks like you in Northern Wyoming; and as a young man, I must confess that I carried all the prejudice of certain young men regarding you and your beliefs. In all fairness I must say that those prejudices were altogether wrong, that I found you altogether different, and so far as my experience goes with the pioneer "Mormon" citizens of northern Wyoming, altogether good. In all fairness, also, I must confess that the training I there got has helped me, as much as any course I ever took, in trying to carry out my duties as an educator in your neighboring State to the East. No one can be here at a gathering like this without being impressed with the wonder of what it means, to ever community here represented. I listened with interest to President Grant's statement about your sugar industry. We also have a sugar industry, but, Presi- dent Grant, ours was not as fortunate as yours, because I am afraid our farmers are going to lose heavily through the loss of one of their independent companies. I have listened to the report of the development of your work and of your members, and certainly everyone here has cause to be gratified for the progress that you are making. We are privileged to work with the "Mormon" settlers in Southern and Southwestern Colorado. We know their worth and we always go to those sections with a great deal of enthusiasm, because we know what is being done. I feel that the time is here when, as President Clark has said, we must build spirit- uality. The curve that represents the growth of spirituality is rather a flat one; the curve that represents the increase in wealth, the increase in material knowledge, is rather a. steep one; and, somehow, we must learn to do as you are doing; carry our religion into our day's work — not religion on one day only, but religion on seven days, and every hour of the twenty-four. I count it a privilege to add my testimony to the work that you are doing. I count it a privilege that I am permitted, as a laborer in the vineyard, to carry forward the work of education. I count it a privilege to tell you that your people in Colorado are doing their part well. They are good neighbors and they are helping us in a work that we count highly important, a piece of work that you are doing and doing well in Utah, namely, sup- planting the "little red school house" by a better school house, usually a -consolidated school, where better opportunities can be given to the country children, a work that has placed, in the last ten years, something like thirty-six thousand children in consolidated schools and brought high school facilities to some- EDITORS' TABLE 739 thing like six thousand children who had no such school fa- cilities before; and best of all, a work that is resulting in the formation of a community church where men and women of many different sects and faiths could gather in one place un- der one organization, to worship God. May your work prosper. Messages from the Missions From Oklahoma Alice E. Brewer and Ida Mortensen, laboring in Miami, Oklahoma, write under date of March 9: "The missionaries laboring in this district are C. H. Rosell, Salt Lake City; Ida Mortensen, El Frida, Arizona; and Alice E. Brewer, Henefer, Utah. We enjoy our labors very much in this place and in the surrounding mining district. There are many good people here, and we believe it to be a very fruitful field. We enjoy the Era very much." A, Great Concert in Balboa Park The southern California Latter-day Saints' choir gave a concert, April 30, at Balboa Park, San Diego, which marked a highly important epoch in the history of the mission. They sang the sacred Cantata by Evan Stephens, "The Vision," under the leadership of Wm, C. Salt before an audience of **^ L' "^ ",^V*B .-v <1 | p yj?. v;^. -.<?-v '( . ^yi! iHtE '"'vV" ii'X ' ii '■%;■■■■>■.«■■ ' u > •//:'-" — '■' ' '•'"' ' r V • 'I . If ?>:<; '/'- '■>*J v * ■ 'it -■ -■'• . * ■ *#'< ■■■" . . , ■f*gr ■-M •vittmc ■■■ * s ''.^aH '* ' €&'•.' ■'Jft? 3 3*1^'' ,? ' '-ID).' ' /JR ^^ SS& Yjj. lf'-x,4 /•'.** '?'' , -f • # W/M/ ^P V ' ■!'•*■ H 1! ^ImiEiMli ■w^JSr t- v. > ;. .rr-'t;*P,!r ' *'„ «. . - . / / ■ — ' iL: . fc|£l * ~i]rJI**L X' '«< ^':'. * ','«' Ur % BB« -■^i.'Tp^-* .*"**"" -•' l Sr4~ . « i^* ":< -. c. < •• • ■ * « ?*#ii"y* dcjw "Wr^^ IF-- r £2^' '•'" ' ' ■"" ' !«:' ^H^v^ $> ^ V M * ^v* -i ^ r •". P ■: •* ;' , Pwf^ ^ =-*!? j- _■ < 4 ' '- ■ ," ' SNfe^ ' : ■■ - «' v«,. c .' . *Ffl& <f jfcjl l -*.*¥", t .W, {* ■-££—" EDITORS' TABLE 741 over 10,000 people. Thousands came and returned because it was im- possible to get within hearing distance. The picture shows the choir while singing and the great organ and a part of the multitude in Balboa Park. The singing was superior to any previous rendition and the applause re- ceived was correspondingly great. The accompaniment from the great or- gan added impressiveness to the singing, and the vast audience was an inspiration to the singers. The concert was given free and no contribu- tions were accepted. Over 5,000 pamphlets, "The Prophet's Own Story" were distributed. The San Diego newspapers had heralded the event for days. In response to the request of President Melvin Freebairn of the San Diego conference, the city commissioners had gladly placed the Spreckels organ pavilion in the Balboa Park at the disposal of this famous choir. The organ is the largest open-air pipe organ in the world. Elder Alexander F. Shreiner, the noted young Utah musician, who is on a mis- sion in California, presided at the console during the concert. — Condensed from a report of Secretary Rulon H. Cheney to the "Era." A New Meeting House to be Erected President R. M. Pugmire, of the Minnesota conference, reports, under date of March 22, a conference held on February 25 and 26, and that the elders are feeling well in their work. The force of laborers is continually growing smaller, and hence, the greater duty devolving upon those who remain. The three branches in the Minnesota conference are flourishing. The Minneapolis people are working hard to realize their hopes in the building of a meetinghouse which they contemplate to do this summer. 1 '■ '- '" ■'■■■■\:'\'. ■ ■ ■ ■ ■■■ ■ at* -._ & ■*^jp ^^y^-i*^ ^y*Mtf*^°c j.r " * "1 5= ^-» P2JT ■. ■ ^ ' ,«h t *3I1 % Hb % % W m a. *1 m *| 1k rf 4 & M * " S n 1 w - 1 "J f v f l W: >T T 1 f^ A$ ^k m jflSL ■W A vlS wS .'3^fc -tf . .1 m ■J*' X i ■' " VKR. *M 1 ft ™ . ■ IW ' X* %Jr Bj m*>M 1 - Missionaries, left to right, first row: W. K. Fahr, Canadian Mission, released; N. N. Probst, president Wisconsin conference; Hilda N. Knudsen, representative of N. S. mission Relief Society; Winslow F. Smith, Presi- dent Northern States mission; Bertha Thurgood, representative of N. S. mission, Relief Society; R. M. Pugmire, president Minnesota conference. Second row: J. P. Mork, Hedwig Maurer, Myrtle Thorp, transferred to Wisconsin conference; Minnette McArthur, E. E. Beck, transferred to Wisconsin conference; H. M. Groesbeck. 742 IMPROVEMENT ERA Third row: Fred Hofer, released; Samuel Park, C. A. Lundell, L. C. Rueckert, released; C. E. Johnson, William Ruitenbeck. Fourth row: L. A. Dalley, E. A. Evans, R. E. Parmer, Ross Gowans, J. M. Jackson, J. O. Jensen, Canadian mission released. Laboring in the Town of the First Swedish Convert Elder Adolph Soderberg, of the Gefle branch, Stockholm conference, Sweden, writing under date of March 7, reports that the town in which he is laboring is a noted landmark in the history of the Scandinavian mis- sion. It is the place where the first baptism was performed. Peter Adolph Forsgreen was baptized in June, 1850, by his brother who was one of the company of elders arriving with Erastus Snow to open up the Scandinavian mission. He proceeds: "The work is now progressing here nicely, but we are handicapped by the lack of elders. This conference includes the whole northern half of Sweden, with but five elders doing the work, three of whom are located in this branch. Elders Karl S. Foss, Salt Lake City; Andrew P. Anderson, Hooper, Utah, are laboring in the Dalarane branch. Elders in the picture are, left to right, Conference President Mathias Erickson, Salina; Fred Thedell, Ogden, and Adolph Soderberg, Salt Lake City. We are regular readers of the Improvement Era, appreciate its good instructions, and wish it continued success." Baptisms in Hamburg Conference Opposite is a picture of the local Priesthood of the four branches in Greater Hamburg of the Hamburg conference. Included in the group are six missionaries who had just arrived from Zion on their way to the Swiss and German mission. 0 Q * s«!^|i **•*§■**» 744 IMPROVEMENT ERA I am pleased to report that the work in Hamburg is progressing, a new branch having just recently been started, making five in this city, although the last is not organized and the meetings are under the direc- tion of the presidency of the other branches. The brethren here shown, along with several o.hers not shown, in most cases, are very actively en- gaged in the cause, officiating as officers or teachers of the various organ- izations. Regular and systematic block teaching is carried on, and in addition the brethren (and the sisters, too) often spend their spare mo- ments in distributing tracts from door to door and thus assisting the mis- sionaries. Five baptisms have been performed so far this year in one branch, and several more will be performed as soon as the weather gets warmer. We are looking forward to baptizing at least 60 people this year in Greater Hamburg, and over 200 in the Hamburg conference. We enjoy getting the Improvement Era and reading the reports from the other missions, and therefore, feel that a little news from the best mission in the world would be of interest to our fellow laborers in the other fields. Missionaries left to right, seated: Julius Behresn, Wilhelm Kallsen, Willy Landvater, Carl Brey, president of the Hamburg-St. George branch; Conference President John H. Zenger, Salt Lake; former Conference President Alfons Finck; Emil Geist, presiding Hambui g-Wandsbek branch; William H. Linck, Salt Lake; Paul Haase, Alfred Muller, president Ham- burg-Hamm branch; Frany Jacobi. First row standing: Robert Menssen, August Stock, Heinrich Steffien, Sr., Heinrich Knopf, Theo. Veerhaarn, Joachim Jabs, Martin Bergmann, Karl Klug, Oscar Bock, Franz Luhmann, Johannes Gurtler, William Linde, Werner Linde. Second row: Fred. Juhrs, Richard Fick, Hans Gurtler, Johann Klein, Elwood Winters, Salt Lake; Julius Leisz, Karl Jeerken, Josef Littke, Fred. Kruger, Geo. H. Schmidt, Salt Lake; Carl Timm, Jr., Carl Vollmer, Elmer Anderson, Weiser, Idaho; Willie Doring, Horst Scharffs, Ernst Steinfeldt, Sandy, Utah; Orson W. Kasteler, Salt Lake; Richard Pruss, Karl Koch, Johannes Harms. Third row: Karl Kahler, Emil Koch, Otto Schlohs, Richard Bauer, Adolph Egarter, Willard S. Miller, Salt Lake; Otto Lendt, Kurt Jahn, Joseph N. McRae, Salt Lake. — John H. Zenger. Intended Evil Doing Unintended Good Photo of the elders of the Leeds conference, British mission. They are, left to right, back row: W. McCracken Smith, Smithfield; Lester W. Fray, Morgan, Utah; Grant P. Geddes, Banida, Idaho; Joel A. Smith, Holbrook, Idaho. Front row: M. Grant Prisbrey, St. George; William Naylor, Boun'iful; Aaron P. Leishman, Wellsville; Harry S. Stoker, con- ference president, Lehi; Andrew T. Jacobsen, Salt Lake City, Utah; and Grant Y. Anderson, Malad City, Idaho. The work here is porgressing favorably. During the past year with the return of the missionaries from Zion, things have taken on a more pleasant and brighter aspect. Just at present we are experiencing another of the periodical persecutions of the press and pulpit, and this week the screen is being used to best advantage by our adversaries, showing a picture, called "Trapped by the 'Mormons,' " adapted from Winifred Graham's tale, "The Love Story of a 'Mormon.' " Needless to say the intended evil is doing us unintended good, for many are enquiring after the truth. It is surprising though that in this day of supposed enlightenment such a large percentage of the public prove to be so gullible that they are duped by such far-fetched lies as Winifred EDITORS' TABLE 745 Graham is capable of concocting. With all their lies and railing ac- cusations, and despite the opinions of men, the gospel is true, will con- tinue to be the only plan of salvation, and in the end truth will pre- vail. All the missionaries appreciate very much the Era and its monthly editions help to lend the home atmosphere to the field. It keeps us well versed in the progress of the Mutuals and the activities abroad. — Andrew T. Jacobsen, Clerk of the Leeds conference. The Workers in Texas Elder Thomas M. Rees, writing from El Paso, Texas, April 10, re- ports that the picture herewith represents the elders and li.dy missionaries laboring with the English speaking people under the direction of Presi- dent Rey L. Pratt of the Mexican mission. Their field of labor com- prises the city of El Paso and the country district about fifty miles each way up and down the Rio Grande river. "Back row, left to right: Jacob A. Hancock, Eden, Arizona; Thomas M. Rees, Salt Lake City; front, Clara Huber, Midway; May Nielsen, Hyrum, Utah. "El Paso is located in the extreme corner of Texas. All four of the missionaries are comparatively new arrivals. El- der Hancock's home burned down a few weeks after his ar- rival here, necessitating his re- turning home. Notwithstand- ing our difficulties, we feel that some result will follow our efforts, and are encouraged to press on in the work."