The Violin Maker

The Violin Maker By Edward H. Anderson On the 26th of April, 1854, R. P. Larsen, now of Moroni, Utah, wa9 born in Ailing, Silkeborg, Skandeborg, Denmark. He was a poor boy, and in early years was hired out to a miller where he did odd jobs around one of those mumerous wind mills that stand on the rolling hills of northern Denmark. While the wind mill was the means of his subsistence, the joy of his life, at the age of seven years, was that he might get hold of a vio- lin. At that age he first began to repair these in- struments. Later he was trans- ferred from the wind mill. He took up the mason trade, became a bricklayer and a builder; but during all the years, his avocation was the repair of violins, a side issue which he loved. Time went on, and in 1881, he emigrated to Moroni, San- pete county, Utah, the underlying motive being the gospel, which he heard from "Mormon" missionaries in his native land. Here he settled, and for fiteen years, followed farming, but whenever opportunity offered he went to his beloved work, violin mak- ing, importing his material from Europe. He finally obtained a ranch some three miles west of Moroni which he developed, and, like the western Pioneer, made it blossom as the rose. Upon this ranch he has also an orchard of apple and peach trees. It was here he reared his family, and provided for their wants which his avocation could not then supply. At length, he was able to take up the work of his younger days which he loved above ranching but which, in the new and unsettled coun- The Violin Maker

370 IMPROVEMENT ERA try, gave little returns tor his labor of love. For sixty years or more he has devoted much of his leisure time to repairing, experimenting with, and making these musical instruments. Later he turned over the labor of his ranch to his sons, and now devotes all his time to violin making. Until about eight years ago, he used Italian wood exclusively. At about that time, one of his sons made a trip to Maple Canyon, about two miles into the mountains above the ranch, and returned with his usual load of wood. That evening he said to his father, "I believe, father, that I have found as good maple in the mountains as you get from Europe for the making of your violins." "Bring it down, then, and let us see." The maple was brought; an experiment with it proved more than satisfactory. At the present time he is using only Utah wood — maple, ma- hogany and pine. He told me in an interview last September, that there were seven kinds of maple in that canyon — red, yellow, white, gray, etc.; mostly yellow and white. Mountain mahogany has also been obtained which serves for other parts of the instrument. This mahogany, as all who have tested it know, is about as hard as steel. The white pine that he uses in building his instruments is obtained east of Mt. Pleasant in the Wasatch mountains, close up to the summits where the pines grow only about three months in the year, thus leav- ing the yearly rings and growths very small, the fibre reso- nant, and the pine very hard, making it better for violin building than rough-textured pine with wider annual rings. It gives a softer tone. He made a violin for Axel Skovgard, a noted violinist of Copenhagen, Denmark, who was later in Chicago. He wrote as follows concerning the Larsen violins: "The workmanship is some of the finest I have ever seen. They are built in ac- cordance with the old Italian masterpieces. The tone is mellow and full of beauty, and has necessary carrying power. I con- sider they rank among1 the very best new violins I have seen in any country." Karl Fischer Music House, New York, has expressed these words concerning one of the violins: "The instrument is ex- ceedingly well made, and the material, although of American growth, seems to possess the necessary qualities of tone develop- ment. The maker has turned out a most remarkable instru- ment. We are of the opinion that when this instrument is de- veloped by playing it will prove a most valuable acquisition to anyone possessing it." Mr. Larsert said: "I make violins because it is a work I love. I have made about seventy-two out of Utah wood, and about one hundred altogether. I have demonstrated that the

THE VIOLIN MAKER 371 violins made of Utah wood are superior in tone and strength to those made from Italian wood which is generally used. I have never read a book on violin making and have never visited a shop where violins are manufactured. I learned to make them after repairing a few. It requires about forty days of careful application and work to make a perfect instru- ment." His violin pegs are made of Utah mahogany, also the finger board and the tail piece. The top plate is made of white pine, the back plate of maple. The neck and scroll, ribs and bridge, are also made of maple. Altogether, it requires seventy- seven pieces in building and perfecting one of the violins. On the back of each instrument, Mr. Larsen has engraved his trade-mark in these letters: "Mareah," which is the name of his wife. He calls his violins the "Mareah" model. He may well be named the Stradivari of Utah; for Ins violins are not like any other violins in the world. And so, some of his musical friends in the east have entitled him the American Stradivari. He played upon and explained to the writer two beautiful models, both of which he held at $500 apiece. The workmanship on these violins is extremely delicate, with beau- tifully blended coloring and scroll work. He has been able to sell practically all the violins he has made, both those made from European material, and those of Utah wood, for approximately $200 to $500 apiece. He had only twelve, out of the whole number made, then on hand. When asked as to whether or not violins grew better with ago, he stated there was not much to that, contrary to the general opinion. He made a very remarkable comparison, saying that a man works better, grows more capable and efficient, until he reaches a certain age; so also with the violin; only, man has his summit of efficiency at about sixty, or earlier, whereas, the violin may reach 200 years before its decline. The reason old violins are supposed to be better is mostly because one person owns and uses the \iolin. As soon as it changes hands it de- deteriorates, but the deterioration is only apparent, and not real, from the fact that it is the man who uses the instrument who changes and not the violin. Both a violin and a man may grow too old to be most efficient in the world. Mr. Larsen has delivered several lectures to high school students in his neighborhood who have occasionally invited him to speak on the subject of musical instruments. And so, Utah has a famous and self-made artist in this manufacturing line, though scarcely known in his adopted state beyond his own little village, but with national and interna- tional renown. He illustrates Emerson's declaration (Journals, Vol. 8, p. 528) :

372 IMPROVEMENT ERA "I trust a good deal to common fame, as we all must. If a man has good corn, or wood, or boards, or pigs, to sell, or can make better chairs or knives or crucibles or church or- gans, than anybody else, you will find a broad, hard-beaten road to his house, though it be in the woods." Nephi Anderson "And they who keep their first estate shall be added upon; and they who keep their second estate shall have glory added upon their heads forever and ever." Illumining for us the fair gospel theme, How kindly the gifts of thy nature did beamr These fruits of thy talents — a loved, precious store, We children of Zion shall prize evermore! How sweeet is thy heaven, how radiant thy dawn, In glory and loveliness "added upon"! Salem, Utah Minnie Iverson Hodapp My Children I stand here in the busy mart Amidst the crowd, yet all alone; As stranger on a foreign shore, Unloved, unnoticed and unknown. Where are my children? Tis night — I lay me down to rest To dream of those I've oft caressed, Those beings whom I love the best Whose lips so oft my own have pressed. My dear, dear, children. A fierce pain clutches at my heart, To think of those now left behind ; In depths of sorrow we did part 'Neath surging waves of grief of mind For my dear children. I scarce believed my waking eyes, 'Tis sure it must be some disguise; And true the time as lightning flies, Oh what a supreme, glad surprise, My dear, dear children. All grown to man- and woman-hood, All virtuous and pure and good, Their true worth I'd not understood. Oh, how to me, hath God been good And to my children. O Father, in thy righteousness, I pray that thou wilt ever bless And lead in paths of holiness On, on to paths of gloriousness, Us and our children. Berkeley, California Annie G. Lauritzen

Nephi Anderson Nephi Anderson, member of the General Board Y. M. M. I. A. author of many books, Church worker, director and secretary of the Utah Gen- ealogical Society and editor of the Genealogical Magazine, died January 6, in Salt Lake City, after a brief illness. He was born January 22, 1865, in Christiania, Norway, and came to Utah with his parents in the fall of 1871, settling in Coalville, Summit county. Later the family moved to Wilson, Weber county. He labored on the farm and at painting and paper hanging with his father, and on December 22, 1886, was married to Asenath Tillotson, by whom he had three children, two daughters and a 6on. He taught school in Ogden for four years and removed to Brigham City in 1800, where he continued in school teaching. Later he went on a mission to Norway and returned home in 1893. He continued teaching in Brigham City and became superintendent of schools from 1900 to 1903. His wife died January 26, 1904, and in March of that year he was called on a mission to Great Britain where he labored in the Liverpool office under the direction of President Heber J. Grant, as assistant editor of the Millennial Star, visit- ing during his mission most of the European countries, and returning in September, 1906, settling in Salt Lake City, where he taught in the Latter- day Saints' University for three years. On June 24, 1908, he married Maud Rebecca Symons, with whom he had six children. He filled another mission to Independence, Missouri, taking charge of the editorial department of the Liahona, the Elders' Journal, in July, 1909, and was recalled in Septem- ber, 1910, to Salt Lake City to edit the Utah Genealogical and Historical Magazine and to labor for the interest of the Genealogical Society of Utah in which work he was engaged up to his death. His education was received in the district schools and in the Ogden High School under Professor T. B. Lewis, also through a number of terms in the University of Utah. He has held most of the offices in the priest- hood and in the auxiliary organizations of the Church, always being an ardent worker in these organizations. At his death he was a high coun- selor in the Liberty stake of Zion. He was a member of the Priesthood Committee on Courses of Study, and a member of the Y. M. M. I. A. Gen- eral Board. His excellent work in the preparation of manuals and out- lines for lessons and in the form of doctrinal articles, essays and stories was well known. All his writings breathe the spirit of the gospel which he believed to be the biggest thing in the world. A list of his published books and stories include, Almina, 1890; Beyond the Arctic Circle, 1894; Added Upon, 18%; A Daughter of the North, 1896; Marcus King Mormon, 1897; A Young Folks History of the Church, 1898; The Castle Builder, 1902; Piney Ridge Cottage, 1912; Story of Chester Lawrence, 1913; John St. John, 1917; Romance of a Missionary, 1908-1919; The Boys of Spring- town, 1920; Doratms 1921. His Added Upon, since its first publication in

374 IMPROVEMENT ERA 1896, has passed through seven editions and is a popular book in the Church, widely read and highly appreciated, not only among the people at home, but in the missionary fields. Besides the published books and stories as enumerated above, he wrote a number of stories and many shorter contributions for the Church publications notably to the Improve- ment Era and Jiivenile Instructor and Genealogical Magazine; the last, ■'Exceptions," a marriage story in the January Era, and "The Dimmed Vision" a genealogical story in a brochure issued January, 1923. He was a gifted writer of fiction and always provided clean stories permeated by the spirit of the gospel. Nephi Anderson traveled extensively throughout the Church in the interest of the Genealogical Society, as well as the Young Men's Mutual Improvement Associations. Unassuming, useful, a diligent worker, faithful, and true to the prin- ciples of the gospel, he passed away, a genuine Latter-day Saint. His funeral was held in the Tenth ward meetinghouse on Wednesday, January 10, and was largely attended by friends from all parts of Salt Lake City. The speakers included F. M. Michelsen, of the Liberty stake Presidency, Bishop Joseph Christenson, Elders George Albert Smith, and Joseph Field- ing Smith, President Anthony W. Ivins, President Rudger Clawson, Elder Edward H. Anderson, and President Heber J. Grant, all of whom spoke of his noble character and his efficient work in the gospel cause. A contribution to the Era expresses sentiments that all who know him will heartily approve. — A. To Be Added Upon Our t car Brother Nephi has received his release To return to that bright realm of joy and of peace, To that home preexistent where once he did dwell, And of which he in earth-life the story did tell. In that premortal life he was Joyal to right, And to serve God the Father he labored with might. In that great, solemn council he stood for the plan That Jehovah proposed for redemption of man. With the sons of the Father he shouted for joy, And he fought against those who the right would destroy To choose here on earth, in the second estate, Whether faithless they'd be or prove valiant and great. His valor secured him the permission to go A probation to serve on the earth here below, And a body secure, which, as ages may roll, Shall live with the spirit an immortal soul. When the true gospel message on earth he first heard, He received the glad tidings, gave heed to the word, And wtih zeal e'er he labored to know Father's will, Each duty to do, each requirement fulfil. As a husband, as father, as brother, as friend, He was true to himself and to all till the end. Both with voice and with pen he expounded God's laws, Stood a pillar of strength in salvation's great cause.

NEPHI ANDERSON 375 Earth's mission is ended, earth's race is now run, The battle is over, the victory won, And Lome to our Parents our brother has gone, Forever and aye to be "added upon." Clifton, Idaho j. s. Bingham Dr. John H. Taylor The New President of the Northern States Mission (See Frontispiece) Elder Winslow Farr Smith, who has acted as president of the Northern States mission since July 3, 1919, has been released, and Dr. John H. Taylor of the General Board Y. M. M. I. A., also Field Secretary and Scout Commissioner, and a grandson of the late President John Taylor, has been appointed to succeed him. Dr. Taylor who is well known in the Church for his successful work in connection with the Mutual Improve- ment movement, particularly with the boy scouts, was born June 28, 1875; blessed on November 4 of that year by William H. Miles; baptized in 1883; ordained a deacon, December 9, 1887, by Thomas E. Taylor; a teacher, September 29, 1893, by George H. Taylor; a priest, July 6, 1894, by Joseph Hodgins; an elder on January 5, 1896, by Edward "W". Davis; a seventy, January 24, 1896, by President Heber J. Grant. He spent two years in England laboring in the Nottingham conference acting as secretary most of the time. Returning he worked for a time in the office of the First Council of Seventy. He labored 33 months in the Netherlands mission, being appointed conference president of the Liege conference which in- cludes Belgium. His schooling was obtained in the Fremont district school, Salt Lake High School, and the L. D. S. Business College from which latter he graduated ; and afterwards, spent three years in Chicago at the coUege of Dental Surgery, from which he graduated, and he practiced his profession for a number of years in Salt Lake City, leaving his vocation, to work for the Church. He has been a Church worker from his early days and was one of the seven presidents of the third quorum of Seventy at Forest Dale before leaving for the Netherlands. He has occupied practically all the auxil- iary positions and, in the Mutual and Sunday jchjol from class teacher to superintendent, and was a member of the stake board of Sunday Schools of the Granite Stake. During his school years he played foot ball with the Y. M. C. A. in a team where John T. Axton, now the head chaplain of the United States Army, was a member. He was engaged in the sport at the Salt Lake High School, and when the Church decided to take up athletics through the M. I. A., he was chosen to introduce this activity, and later, on, Scouting, which he conducted independently of the National Organization for about two years. The National Organization later invited the Y. M. M. I. A. scouts to join with them. This was accomplished, and their program of activities has been carried on up to the present time. He was appointed Special Field

376 IMPROVEMENT ERA I Scout Com. on May 8, 1912, to represent the National Organization in Scout- ing as far as the "Mormon" boys were concerned, who had not registered with the National Organization, and he was later appointed Field Secre- tary for the Y. M. M. I. A. as well as Scout Commissioner. He conducted the first Church athletic meets that were held at Wandamere, and these were later combined with Scouting so that activities in both athletics and scouting were presented there. "When the Scouting in the Church was first established there were only one or two troops, but the work has gradually grown from this small beginning until there are now about 8,000 registered boys at National Headquarters. Councils have been or- ganized in Salt Lake, Ogden, Logan and Provo districts. Many splendid scout leaders have come into the work through all parts of the Church which has made it possible for this activity to stand out so prominently. Dr. Taylor married Rachael Grant Taylor, and has two children, Lucy Taylor and Heber Grant Taylor, the son being now on a mission in the Netherlands. In his capacity as Scout and M. I. A. field commissioner, since Septem- ber, 1911, he has introduced many activities, among them being the annual Pioneer hike, suggested by B. H. Roberts, which he conducted for the first time, and for many succeeding years. He has also been instrumental in aid- ing in the introduction of fathers and sons' outings now taken annually by most of the stakes. In the training of scout leaders throughout the Church, he has taken a leading part. Dr. Taylor is an energetic worker, cheerful and capable, and has made thousands of friends by his unobtrusive, but his persistent and careful methods of teaching. He is well qualified to take the position to which he has now been called, and what the young people of the Church will miss in his absence, will be made up to the youth of the mission field where he is now engaged. — A Experimenting with Farm Crops By George Stewart, Agronomist, Utah Agricultural Experiment Station Experimental work is interesting. In agriculture it is doubly so beacuse the results must be measured in terms of liv- ing things. To discover any thing, however humble its nature, stirs the innermiost fiber of him who makes the discovery. To unravel the slenderest thread from the spool of life is man's greatest joy. Life is sacred — all of it. Man is God*s grandest achievement, but the all-pervading sacredness penetrates plants as well. They are part of life. What that is, no man knows, Let us accept it and be content. Because the farmer must deal with living things, he walks a charming path. Often has the labor been hard and long, but henceforth it need not be so long and so hard. There are

EXPERIMENTING WITH FARM CROPS 377 > easier ways of doing somethings. It is the business of the Utah Agricultural Experiment Station to seek out these easier ways. Here are a few of the many that have been found up to the present time. There must be hundreds of others if they were only known. Wheat Suppose the growing of a thousand bushels of wheat be a man's goal. He grows it on a hundred acres or he may use only twenty. It will largely depend on his land and whether he irrigates. But some varieties yield more than others; some are good for dry farming and some for irrigated land. Grow- ing the best one for this purpose will help materially. In the first place clean seed outyields the ordinary seea by about 12 bushels an acre on 50-bushel crops. The getting of clean seed requires intelligent effort. Let not any man deny that until he has spent days in his field pulling heads of a certain type. These he sows in a small plot and pulls out inter- lopers. Any plant showing smut must be carefully uprooted and buried or burned. The next year he can plant a field and sell certified seed to his neighbors if he is careful to preserve the cleanliness of the wheat and neglects not to have it in- spected before cutting time. Which variety is best to grow? With the ones tried, the fol- lowing yields under irrigation were obtained in 1921: Acre-yield (bushels), Acre-yield (bushels) Variety Logan Farmington Variety Logan Farmington Sevier 73.7 61.9 Early Boart 58.1 51.8 Dicklow 64.6 53.8 Bluestein 53.1 45.0 New Zealand 61.5 53.7 Marquis 48.2 45.8 A new variety, Federation, which has been giving high yields in Oregon and Idaho were added to the list for 1922: Acre-yield (bushels) Acre-yield (bushels) Variety Logan Farmington Variety Logan Farmington Sevier 50.0 Early Boart 34.0 40.6 Federation 50.2 45.2 Bluestein 39.7 New Zealand 43.7 47.4 Marquis 24.9 33.8 Dicklow 45.4 40.6 Different varieties are used on dry-farm except in the case of Sevier which may be fall-planted on the dry-farm or spring- planted for irrigation. At Nephi the following yields have been secured during the last two years: Acre-yield (bushels) Nephi Acre-yield (bushels) Nephi Variety 1922 1921 Aver. 10 yrs. Variety 1922 1921 Aver. 10 yrs. Sevier 12.1 38.8 Ghirka 10.5 33.4 20.0 Kanred 11.6 37.7 Turkey 8.1 33.6 19.9 Crimean 9.3 33.8 21.9 Kofod 8.6 29.4 15.5 Kharkov 9.2 32.7 203 Gold Coin 7.0 31.6 12.9

Top: \Corn silage variety test at the Davis County farm, Farmington Center: A row of unselected potatoes planted between two selected rows. Note that the two selected are well up, whereas the unselected is just emerging. Bottom: Wheat breeding plats at Nephi Experimental Dry-farm. Each peg is a special sort being tried. The) peg lying down indicates a promising row,

EXPERIMENTING WITH FARM CROPS 379 In spite of its high yield, Sevier wheat cannot be recom- mended. It is a new variety not well tried nor well-selected. It may not be adapted in all seasons. More serious than this, how- ever, is its composite character. In the variety are several dis- tinct strains that must be sorted out. Then, too, it is notoriously v/eak-strawed under irrigation where it lodges too badly to per- mit harvesting with a binder. Here is where the Experiment Station gets a chance. Given time, it can separate the different sort and find the best yielder. Can it ever strengthen the straw and make it stand? There are breeders at the Experiment Station who believe that this trick can be turned. They think that this high-yielding, weak-strawed Sevier may be cross-bred with the strong-strawed Dicklow. In about five years of multiplication after the cross-hybridization there will be approximately a million plants. Among these there would be some that have the strong-straw of Dicklow united with the high yield and good quality of Sevier. To find these desirable plants and multiply them requires skill, patience, and much work. If it could be done — well, Utah, irrigates 85,000 acres of wheat, and dry-farms another 170,000 acres. You may figure it for yourself. What if the beards were bred off Turkey Red by a similar process? Some stockmen would appreciate it. Potatoes Seed selection in potatoes pays handsomely. There seems to be parts of Utah where it is not wise to attempt to grow one's own seed. Where seed is regularly grown, what might be accomplished is shown by the following yields: Year Unselected Selected Gain Year Uuselected Selected Gain 1915 179.3 316.7 137.4 1919 117.3 146.9 29.6 1916 191.2 330.7 139.5 1920 184.8 353.4 168.6 1917 269.3 382.4 113.1 1921 159.7 257.9 89.2 1918 202.4 311.9 109.5 1922 281.2 565.3 284.1 In addition to the difference in yield, there was a much higher percentage of good marketable tubers in the selected stock, 89 per cent as compared with 73 for the unselected. In several desirable qualities, such as smoothness, uniformity, and freedom from disease, the selected strains were noticeably superior. After planting, the rows of selected potatoes came up sooner, grew more rapidly, and were larger and more vigorous in every way. They even required less labor in weeding because they shaded the ground miore quickly. And yet this study has only begun. Potato breeding is done at the farm in Logan by the hill-

380 IMPROVEMENT ERA selection method. Good hills were selected, in 1911 and planted in separate rows. Since then each hill has been dug separately and the best only used for seed. It should be remembered that potatoes are constantly attacked by disease. On this account, they degenerate rapidly unless the selection is repeated each year. Irrigation experiments on potatoes show that moderate amounts of water give better results than either heavy or ex- tremely light irrigation. The soil needs to be kept moist, but The beets harvested from three 1/25 acre plats in 1921. The two outer ones have grown beets 9 years without manure. The middle one shows the value of manuring. more water than is necessary to accomplish this end is not only wasted but actually decreases the yield obtained. Different amounts of water give the following five-year average yields: Water used, Acre-yield (5 years) Water used Acre-yield (5 years) (Acre-inches) (Bushels) (Acre-inches) (Bushels) 0 153 20 317 5 229 30 300 10 255 60 190 15 294 90 170 Not only did the yield decrease when excessive amounts of water were applied, but the potatoes were rough, misshapen, and undesirable in appearance. Sugar-Beets Irrigation exeriments have also been conducted with sugar- beets. Moderate amounts gave higher yields and better quality

EXPERIMENTING WITH FARM CROPS 381 than did either little or excessive water. Yield results for a five-year period were as follows: Water used, Acre-yield (5 years) Water used Acre-yield (5 years) (Acre-inches) (tons) (Acre-inches) (tons) 0 13.0 30 20.4 5 18.9 60 15.9 10 22.2 90 13.0 20 23.0 On all land irrigated excessively unfavorable conditions developed. After about two seasons the land became hard and compact and would not work up properly. Weeds became particularly troublesome, especially grass weeds. Some sea- sons these were so bad as to make beet thinning exceedingly difficult. Poor stands of beets always resulted on land that had been heavily irrigated previously. Moreover, plowing required more power. In another test it was found that applying farm manure to sugar-beet land was more profitable than anything else that can be done with equal effort and expense. Even when beets were grown several years on the same land good yields were ob- tained from manured plots, though rotation ought also to be practiced. After 9 years of beet growing the yields on land manured each year were as follows: Manure Applied Acre-yield Manure applied Acre-yield (tons to the acre) (tons) (tons to the acre) (tons) 15 16.2 30 20.5 40 22.1 It is interesting to observe that, although the yields in- creased as the manure is increased, small quantities of manure give proportionately larger increases. When five tons of man- ure was applied annually there was an increase of 9.7 tons of beets or nearly two tons of beets for each ton of manure. When the amount of manure applied was increased from 5 tons to 10 tons there was an additional increase in yield of only 2 tons of beets of two-fifths of a ton of beets for each additional ton of manure. When forty tons of manure was applied to the acre there was an increase of only one-sixth of a ton of beets for each ton of manure. Unless manure is plentiful it pays to manure lightly and to cover more land with it. Silage Corn A new industry of rapidly growing importance in the Moun- tain states is the production of silage corn. Utah is rapidly de\ eloping into a great dairy state and needs silage as part ration. Most silage growers are growing the variety Improved 0 6.3 5 16.0 10 18.0

382 IMPROVEMENT ERA Learning, or a smaller one. During the last three years a num- ber of varieties of corn have been tested at Farmington for si- lage production. These experiments, and similar ones in many other parts of the country, show that corn may be planted two or three weeks earlier than is usually done, thereby permitting the use of larger varieties. The acre-yields were as follows:, Variety Acre-yield Variety Acre-yield (tons of silage) (tons of silage) 12.9 U. S. Selection No. 77 18.2 14.8 U. 9. Selection No. 119 17.0 U. S. Selection No. 193 11.0 Learning Lancaster Million Dollar 14.5 Here is an entirely new method of production which appar- ently has promise. An experiment that will increase the yield by about 50 per cent deserves the attention of farmers — and business men as well. Many other data might be added to these but that would make the story too long. Hundreds of similar things not now known might be found if only the energy were available. At any rate you will agree that experimenting is interesting. Logan, Utah. Splendid M. I. A. in Illinois Elder Martinus Anderson, Springfield, Illinois: "We have a splendid Mutual organization and a good group of workers, all of whom read the Era with satisfaction. We are especially interested in the Book of Mormon. In one week we succeeded in placing 64 copies in homes, together with several hundred tracts and pamphlets." Elders left to right top: Ariel W. Bradshaw, Tremonton; Marion G. Clark, Cannonville, Utah. Front, Randall Olsen, Lovell, Wyoming; President Martinus Anderson, Shelley, Idaho. *

f]tt|t})!li The Bondage of Sin What is the meaning of Doc. and Cov. 84:40, 41? In the preceding verses of this revelation the Lord tells us that those who are faithful and therefore obtain the Priesthood in its two divisions — the Melchizedek and Aaronic — and magnify their calling in the Priesthood are sanctified by the Spirit, and be- come, "the sons of Moses and Aaron and the seed of Abraham, and the Church and Kingdom, and the elect of God." Paul (Gal. 3:7) expresses the same beautiful thought when he says, "Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham." And Brigham Young said : "If any of the Gentiles will believe, we will lay our hands upon them that they may receive the Holy Ghost, and the Lord will make them of the house of Israel." The revelation in the Doc. and Cov., further, explains how we become "sons" of Moses and Aaron and the "seed" of Abra- ham through "faith," as Paul has it, instead of by physical lineage. We are told that he who receives the Priesthood through the servants of God receives the Lord himself and the Father, and all that "my Father hath," including the kingdom. All this, the revelation says, (v. 39) is according to the oath and covenant which belongeth to the Priesthood. Now, as far as the Church of Christ is concerned, this oath and covenant is made first in baptism, when the Holy Ghost is given, and more especially when the Priesthood is conferred. It is, secondly, repeated by partaking of the Sacrament, and by entering into special covenants in holy places. By baptism, which is the symbol of burial and resurrection, we pledge our- selves to live new lives in fellowship with Christ, our old lives in worldiness and sin being dead and buried, as he died and was laid in the grave. In the Sacrament, which typifies the death of Christ on the cross, we pledge ourselves to remember his death for us; at the same time acknowledging that we are worthy of death, if we break our covenants. This is one great meaning of partaking of the Sacrament. But why remember his death? In the Mosaic dispensation sacrifices were offered. The one who brought the sacrifice conferred, as it were, his sins on the animal; then the victim was slain instead of the sinner,

384 IMPROVEMENT ERA as Christ was slain for the world, bearing its sin. (John 1:29.) But on the part of the Israelite it was at the same time an acknowledgment that the sinner was worthy of death, and his willingness to suffer that penalty, if he continued in sin. That was his oath and covenant at the altar of sacrifice. In the patriarchal dispensation sacrifices were brought with the same signification. Particularly instructive is the story in Gen. 15:7-18. The Lord promised to give Canaan to Abraham for an inheritance. Abraham asked, "Whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it?" Then the Lord commanded him to bring certain animals for sacrifice. These were slain and cut up and the pieces laid in two rows. Then the Lord repeated his promise to Abraham and a flame passed between the pieces of the slain animals in token of the covenant. The reason the Lord did all this was that, in olden times, it was the custom among men to confirm covenants by walking between the bleeding pieces of slain animals. (Com. pare Jeremiah 34:18.) It was their way of expressing the thought that if they broke the covenant thus confirmed, they were worthy of the fate of the sacrifice between which they were walking. The fundamental meaning of the Sacrament in our day is the same; only now, our Lord Jesus Christ himself is the sacri- fice, the "Lamb of God." It is in his presence that our cov- enants to serve him are made, and we say, by partaking of the broken bread and the cup, that we are worthy of the fate he suffered in redeeming us, if we break that covenant. That is why we should remember his death. Hence, as we read in the revelation: "Whoso breaketh this covenant after he hath re- ceived it, and altogether turneth therefrom, shall not have for- giveness of sins in this world nor in the world to come." Note the words in italics. There is forgiveness for sins committed as a consequence of human weakness, and there is forgiveness hereafter for those who have not had a real chance in this world. But for covenant-breakers, who turn away altogether, or, as Paul says (Heb. 6:6), "crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh," there can, of course, be no hope. This seems to be the meaning of the passage considered. Heber C. Kimball at one time said: "Inasmuch as you have come into this Church and made a covenant to forsake the world and cleave unto the Lord and keep his command- ments, the Lord will compel you to do it, if it should be in ten thousand years from this time." (April 2, 1854, Journal of Discourses, Vol. 2, p. 151.) Daniel H. Wells, speaking on this subject, said: "How is it with those who turn away and wither and die, after having partaken of the good word of life and partaken of the powers to come? In view of these things the Savior said unto the generation in which he

EDITORS' TABLE 385 lived, 'It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah, in the day of judgment, than for you.' This will strictly apply to us, if we turn away. Or might it not be said with equal force, it shall be more tolerable for Carthage or Warsaw than for us in that day, if we turn away from the principles of life and salvation that are bestowed upon us? There is no damnation so complete as that which will come on those persons, who, after having tasted the good word of God, after having received the principles of life and salvation, and been made acquainted with the powers of the world to come, again turn unto the beggarly elements of the world. Then it becomes us to hang on to these principles and to this power — to this principle of life and salvation which has been revealed to us — and not let them slip from us, and we finally go down to perdition." (Journal of Discourses, Vol. 4. p. 235. — A. The Book of Mormon Attention is called to the leading article in this number of the Era^ treating in a learned and convincing way on the Book of Mormon and Egyptology. The reader will find this an im- portant contribution to the literature on the subject. Its argu- ments warrant and should attract wide attention. The Book of Mormon is not only wonderful in that it stands the test of the deepest intellectual analysis, but its philosophy and text are likewise plain to all who read. Anyone who studies the Book of Mormon will agree with Parley P. Pratt, who, as far back as April, 1856, declared: "The joy which filled my bosom in reading that sacred record, waking up our minds and giving us the knowledge of the past dealings of God with the inhabitants of this vast western hemisphere, and of a nation of people as ancient as that of Abraham or of the Jaredites, and giving us knowledge also of a branch of scattered Israel led away from the land of their fathers 600 years B. C., and the glorious fact, the most important of all in the book, that the risen Jesus in his glorified, immortal flesh and bones set his feet upon this western hemisphere and ministered publicly to thousands and thousands of the Nephites, blessed them, revealed to them his gospel in its fulness, and was glorified in their presence — all these things received in faith in my heart, and by the spirit of knowledge and of light and of understanding, and of hope and joy and charity, filled my heart in a way that I never" can express to any being; to have the same joy understood, it must be experienced." And also with his statement delivered in 1855 on the "Gos- pel in the Book of Mormon." "If the gospel as set forth in the Book of Mormon were accepted by a neighborhood, a town, a city, or a world, "there would be no thieving there any longer, no cheating, no deceiving, no intentional breaking of promises, no wrong dealing, no extortion, no hatred, no envy, and no evil speaking — because obedience to the gospel implies repentance, which means nothing more nor less than putting away all our evils and ceasing to do them."— A.

386 IMPROVEMENT ERA Books A book reflecting the true spirit of Americanism is The Ox Team Days on the Oregon Trail, by Ezra Meeker, revised and edited by Howard R. Driggs, of the University of Utah. The author left Iowa and made the hazardous journey by ox team to Oregon in 1852. After fifty-four years of pioneer struggle in the development of the north-west country, he went back over the journey by ox team in 1906. He made this journey in order to induce people to mark the famous Oregon trail which the western pioneer had used. The book is an account of his experiences from Ohio to the coast, settling the north-west country and retracing the old Oregon trail. The book has an introduction by Professor Driggs and the text is the simple and true account of what Mr. Meeker has seen and of the pioneer struggle in the west to win and hold the country, also of his efforts to preserve the memory of the old trail. Ox Team Days on the Oregon Trail is richly illustrated with half tones and maps and is full of tales of danger and romance, and pictures vividly the heroic pioneering of the great west by one who passed through it. — The World Book Com- pany, Yonkers on the Hudson, 225 pages cloth, price $1.20. Messages from the Missions Successful Concert at Thames, New Zealand Elder Abram M. McFarland, conference president, Thames, New Zea- land November 1, writes of a concert staged by Elder Warren Tonks, the Saints and Friends, October 12, in the Strand Theatre, the proceeds of which, amount to $300, assisted the business men in erecting a memorial to the fallen soldiers. The building was overfilled, and hundreds were turned away. The elders and their friends won the good-will of many hundreds, through this effort: "The picture is a representation of the 'Poi company,' showing the Maoris in their native costumes. These wonderful people displayed the keenest enthusiasm, with their quaint poi dances and stirring 'hakas.' The 'haka,' the Maori war dance, was performed by thirty-five Maori men with great gusto. It is a weirdly gesticulated incantation devised to in- timidate the enemy and encourage their own warriors. It is hard to im- agine a scene more awe-inspiring, fearful and nerve-racking than thousands of painted savages dancing the 'haka' with an abandon that would seem impossible to any but a courageous people such as the forefathers of the Maoris of today. The grace and litheness of the Maori is best displayed in the 'Poi dances,' as is also the wonderful indefatigability of the native maiden. The 'Poi ball' is a hand-made hemp-cord of length to suit the dance enacted. This 'ball' is swung sometimes one in each hand with marked grace and freedom of movement, similar to Indian clubs. The Waka 'canoe' Poi is a representation of the Maoris coming to Aotearoa, New Zealand, paddling unceasingly. The men and women presently tire and become weary for lack of food and rest, and eventually, despair. But see, someone seems to see land ahead, and on© by one, the rowers awake to renewed effort and finally a song of triumph heralds the dawn of a new land of hope. In a similar manner the Te Hoko Whitu 'long' Poi which deals with a lovei drama, or perhaps merely an exhibition of endurance, is characteristically graceful. The third Poi was the 'military' which showed unqualified disciplne.

EDITORS' TABLE 387 3^ JtSr' •••'•''■''" ' MJ^B^. i Hi f s^: i fe^^^""" " a? i rJ* .MkfTk^af>y 'a "2»BtsB«Ti£&M f Jhh ^ ,A^3L "-•"'.■ iimB^^^^i^^E^'y.^^h . :\ ;.'"■>* "The Maoris have a pleasing intonation in rendering their vocal music, which adds to its popularity; and are artists in the manipulation of stringed instruments. These people are of the seed of Israel who left Jerusalem 600 B. C. and went to America and from there to Hawaiiki. Their performers are members of the Ngatimaru tribe who came to Aotearoa in the great canoe Hotumui under the Chieftain Maru Tuahu many hundred years ago. But since Maori history was kept only verbally and repeated from memory in generations past, the exact time of their arrival from Hawaiiki cannot be obtained." Elder McFarland reports that the elders and Saints are enjoying their labors, especially since the completion of their new chapel built by the elders and Saints. Nevada Conference Organized Forrest L. Packard, Sacramento, California, reports that the 7th semi- annual conference of the Gridley conference held sessions December 8-10, with nine meetings, including a priesthood meeting, two Relief Society meet- ings and six general sessions. An illustrated lecture was given under the direction of Superintendent Gustive O. Larsen. President Joseph W. McMurrin and a number of the heads of conferences and auxiliaries were in attendance. President McMurrin spoke at a number of the sessions on the necessity of crying repentance unto the people and that we should teach the principles of the gospel and let the mysteries alone. He also brought before the Saints the necessity of more missionaries to carry on the Lord's work and urged upon them to volunteer for the privilege of carrying the gospel to those who are in need of it. On Sunday, December 10, the gen- eral and local authorities of the Church were sustained. The President then spoke to the people on the need for creating a new conference to be called the Nevada conference and to include the territory from Susanville, California, east to the west limits of the territory now included in the stakes of Zion. He presented Elder Harry Hanson to preside over this conference with Elders L. J. Gammon, J. L. Murdock, I. R. Fisher, and J. L. Lythgoe as traveling elders. He gave valuable instructions to the

388 IMPROVEMENT ERA assembled Sail Is and missionaries, thanking the Saints for the kindness and hospitality which had been shown to missionaries and visitors. He also bore a powerful testimony of the gospel of Christ and said there would be no peace until men would obey the gospel of peace and hearken unto the King of peace. The total number present at all meetings was 1,257. Elder B. F. Zimmerman was presented with a diamond stick-pin for placing the most Books of Mormon in the past five months, the presenta- tion being by President McMurrin in behalf of the missionaries. The Tide has Turned Elder Burton E. Tew reports from Wilmington, Delaware, December 23, that it has been difficult to get the gospel message to the people of that place because of indifference and prejudice. No baptism had been performed there for years until November, when one person was added to the Church. Now the tide seems to have turned, and, he continues: "Our list of investigators has grown, i o th~t practicallv all our evenings are occupied in visiting. Lately we appeared before the Public Park Com- mittee and obtained the privilege of presenting educational pictures of Utah and the 'Mormons' in the parks. The lady missionaries are now here permanently, and they are a great help in establishing the auxiliary or- ganizations and in the making of friends." The following is a picture of the missionaries and some of the Saints laboring in Wilmington, Delaware. Top row: Cathryn Peterson, Fillmore; Burton E. Tew, Mapleton, Utah; D. Ross Pugmire, St. Charles, Idaho; Edna Brown, Fairview, Wyoming. Bottom row: (local members) Alma Heller, Jessie Wilmer, Melvin E. Wilmer.