Priesthood Quorums’ Table

PRIESTHOOD QUORUMS' TABLE Waking up to a Race To those who are familiar with the monthly reports of the Presiding Bishops' office relating to the standing of each ward and stake in the Church in regard to monthly teachers' visits, percent of attendance at sacrament meetings, and other important items relating to the Priesthood and Church work, the following circular sent to the bishops and counselors of the Snowflake stake, Arizona, by the presidency of the stake, will be of interest, and may act as an impetus to other stakes to get in and provide the necessary team work to raise the percentage of ward teaching as well as attendance at sacrament meetings. Dear Bishops and Counselors: — We have won our campaign in a most wonderful manner. We were running a neck-to-neck race for 50 per cent (our slogan) when we saw that 50 per cent would get us no where, since we were already at second place on the Church {Bulletin and Lethbridge away ahead with 59. Then everybody sprinted up, and by a most strenuous effort on the part of most of you, we went over the top and snatched victory right out of the jaws of defeat and won, not only our slogan 50 per cent, but 60 per cent and then some, sixty-one per cent. Now, Lethbridge can just sit up and watch something speedy go by. There is something a little exciting about a race. It has a thrill, and makes a fellow's nerves tingle with real life. Having won it whets one for another contest. We look about to see if there is something really worth working for that we can win from everybody. Are you really keen for another scrap? Well, all right, then, I am with you. Judging by the way you get response from your people and loyal sup- port from the crowd, we really expect that you will have nerve for anything in the line of progress. Here is a record. We have two and a half months left of this year for the P. B. O. slogan, Every Member a Tithe-payer. Let us enter and win the best mark in the Church. Make it the subject for ward teaching in November. Follow it up with a vigorous bishop's annual visit. Tell all the folks about it and get every- body interested. We're off! We think it a good thing for every stake in the Church to put these thoughts into effect. A Day for the Discussion of Tithing The presidents of stakes and bishops throughout the Church should take notice of the fact that the First Presidency have approved of a recommenda- tion of the Presiding Bishopric, that the Sacramental meeting on Sunday, December4 10, shall be set apart for the purpose of discussing the subject of tithing. It is desired that the meeting shall be under the direction of the bishops of the wards, and its activities conducted by the members of the Aaronic Priesthood. The plan, we think, is commendable and will be of value in many ways, both to those who take part and those who listen, and will undoubtedly increase the desire of the Latter-day Saints to comply with the law of tithing Further details will be forwarded by the Presiding Bish- op's Office to the bishops direct.

Some Check Questions A few check questions for stake superintendents and ward presidents, worth reading and discussing at your next union meeting: 1. Am I giving the type of leadership that will assure the active support of my assistants, and functioning of all committees in a manner that will bring the best results to the entire organization? 2. Do I keep ever before me the major objective of the Y. M. M. I. A. — the establishing, of a testimony of the gospel? 3. Do people feel free to phone me and solicit my service and that of the organizations in all worthy undertakings? 4. Do I cooperate with the Priesthood and the other auxiliary organ- izations? 5. Are the records of my organization in such form as to serve as a barometer denoting the progress being; made? 6. Do I keep in close touch with the official organ of the organization — the Improvement Era, the general office of the organization, and other associations, exchanging ideas and profiting by a study of their successes and failures? 7. Am I haphazard, or do I always strive to reach an established ob- jective ? 8. Do I schedule my work to assure opportunity and the greatest return on my investment of time? 9. Do I do enough personal missionary work to assure my being in touch with the spirit of youth and the spirit of my work? 10. Do I give wise leadership, never assuming the attitude of dictator, and always considerate cooperation to my fellow workers? 11. Do I always solicit, in earnest prayer, the companionship and aid of the Lord? From every indication, this year's work will be the most successful in the history of our organization. Superintendent Ballard's earnest desire for us to back up our slogan at the November polls; Richard! R. Lyman'., address on obtaining a 50,000 membership by January 1, 1923 ; and our General Superintendent's appeal that each officer win one wayward boy, are all full of inspiration; and with the blessings of the Lord, we feel that their wishes will not be in vain. — Oscar A. Kirkham. Monthly Message to the "M" Men By Thomas A. Beal, Member of the General Board In order' to develop the initiative of young men and give them practice in conducting part of the the Mutual program outside of the manual study period, the "M" organization was created. The real purpose of this or- ganization is to carry out more fully one of the aims of Mutual Improve- ment work as set forth by Brigham Young in organizing the mutual associa- tions; namely, to teach the young men to preside over public assemblies and to express themselves before the public. The real difference between the work of the "M" men and that of the manual, is that in the former case the "M" men preside over themselves, choose their own officers and provide

84 IMPROVEMENT ERA their own programs, while in the regular meeting, (that is, from 7:30 to 8:30) the work as outlined by the manual is followed. Of course, a senior leader has the supervision of the "M" work, but the real work is done by the "M" men themselves. Brigham Young ia reported to have defined education as "the power to think, to act, and to appreciate." This idea is intended to be carried out in the "M" men activities. The young man! is given an opportunity to think for himself. In other words, the "M" work will give the senior the opportunity to develop leadership and initiative, which means the power to do the right thing at the right time without being told, that is to say, "carry the message to Garcia." The "M" work further provides opportunity, develops capacity, and gives ambition, and with these three, properly balanced, success will be assured. Responsibility is another phase of the "M" work. Here the young man is especially tested. The mantle of leadership is given to him and if he is of the right material this responsibility will bring it out. Mr. Roger W. Babson in his Fundamentals of Prosperity, page 59, gives a good illustration of responsibility. He says: "My little girl has a black cat; about once in four months this cat has kittens. Opposite our place is a man who has an Airedale dog. When the dog comes across the street and that cat has no kittens, the cat immediately 'beats it' as fast/ as she can, with the dog after her. But when the dog comes across the street and that cat has the responsibility of kittens, she immediately turns on the dog and the dog 'beats it' with the cat after him. It is the same dog, the same cat and the same backyard; but in one instance the cat has no responsibilities, and in the other case she has. Responsibilities develop faith, vision, cour- age, initiative, and other things that make the world go round." In "M" work the young man is given responsibility. He is given an opportunity to see what "M" stands for, namely, minute men, manly men, modest men, mindful men, masculine men, mutual men and "Mormon" men. Knowing what "M" stands for, young men, get your work under way at once and altogether "Go to it" with head, heart and hand and "Put it over." An Appeal to Fight A splendid opportunity for real service this coming season confronts Mutual workers, and I earnestly commend the following appeal to your favorable consideration: For some time past I have noticed a leaven working in the interest of the use of intoxicating liquors. There are agencies insiduously at work to reintroduce into society beverages that injure the body and mind of hu- manity. Only a few days ago a booster for "drink" called at my office in the interest of his pernicious craft, soliciting, under organized effort, my sup- port for the return of beer and light wines for the consumption of the people. Now, as Mutual workers, we can do much by our conduct, attitude, and the sentiment we create, to preserve and sustain temperance and to oppose any movement or effort calculated to spoil the good work already done through the medium of temperance reform. Prohibition, while it may not be a perfect solution to the evil of intemperance, has aided in the good cause materially, and is gradually and effectively eliminating the dreaded evil, and is safeguarding the welfare of our children and the people generally. It is to be expected that inveterate users of spirituous drinks will violate temperance laws, if possible; and there will exist men and women, selfish and /iself'-willed, who will lend themselves as willing tools in the hands of the adversary to perpetuate the evils of "drink." True, trouble is experienced in the enforcement of prohibition, as we