Timely Thoughts from the June Conference

Timely Thoughts from the June Conference Touching Duties of Officers and Obligations of M. I. A. Workers and Members To Know the Truth is Great, But to Applj it is a Wonderful Thing to Learn Never do anything in your lives that will prevent you from bowing before the Lord and asking him to bless you while you are performing that labor or that thing. You officers represent the youth of Zion, more than one hundred thousand of them! Wie would like you to feel that those you represent are the hope of this world. It is not only that they are just young men and young women, but they are a particular group upon whom will devolve the responsibility of bearing the message of life and salvation to the children of men. We would like to feel that you are indeed waiting upon the Lord for the inspiration of his holy Spirit, that you may go to your fields of labor filled and thrilled with a desire to lead these sons and daughters of our heavenly Father in the pathway that will insure them success in this vlife and glory and immortality in his presence. * * * It is one thing to know the truth — most of you are familiar with the truth — but it is a much more wonderful thing to learn to apply that truth in our lives. Mutual Improvement is dedicated to that wonderful task. Mutual Improvement is dedicated to bring into the lives of the youth of this land the truth, and to teach them to apply it in their lives. There are some of whom it has been said that they are ever learning but never coming to a knowledge of the truth. Mutual Improve- ment workers must not be found in that particular group. * * * "We work in this life for earthly riches. "We cannot take any of them with us, not any of them, not a dollar, not a share of stock, not an acre of land; but there has been placed within the reach of every man and every woman in this great organization an opportunity to lay up treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not corrupt nor thieves break through and steal. This is your opportunity. You do not even have to be a great financier; you do not have to be a great politician — all that you need is the love of mankind in your souls, and the blessings of our heavenly Father that will flow to you as a result of your faith and devotion. This will enrich your lives, and you will lay up treasures where they will be eter- nally profitable to you. — From Superintendent George Albert Smith's Opening Address. What Officers Do Has a Greater Influence Than What They Say It is useless for anybody to try to do very much in this Church with- out the assistance of the Lord. They cannot progress; they cannot have inspiration, influence and power over the youth of Zion unless they have the companionship of the holy Spirit. It is a wonderful missionary work to which you are called. Let us take it up with the true missionary spirit, remembering always that what we do and what we are has far greater weight with the young people especially, than what we say. So it rests upon you and each one of us to live as near to the Lord as we can, show to our young people that we are sincere, that we are earnest and that we have a testimony of the truth in our hearts; and let it be your ambition always, foremost of everything else, to try to help the youth of

TIMELY THOUGHTS FROM THE JUNE CONFERENCE 921 Zion to gain a testimony of the truth for themselves. When the Young Ladies Mutual Improvement Association was organized President Brig- ham Young said: "We want our young people organized into associations where they can take up the study of the gospel and gain for themselves a testimony of its truth, for the day will come when they who have this testimony in their hearts will be able to stand the tests that are coming among the Latter-day Saints."— President Martha H. Tiiigey, in her ad- dress of welcome. The Advanced Senior Class Work for 1923-24 Sister Augusta W. Grant of the Y. L. M. 1. A., addressed the meeting on this topic: — The subject for this year is "Life's Visions and Purposes." This word vision, as we use it here, does not refer to spiritual manifesta- tions, as it sometimes does. It is rather hard to define. The dictionary gives three parts to the definition: First, our eye sight. We may say the natural vision of our eyes, what we see with our natural eyes. Second, the spiritual vision we may have. Third, to perceive with the eye of intelligence or imagination. To me it means the outlook we have upon life, the picture of the future that is before us, its possibility; our dreams, our ideals and our inspirations; what we desire our lives to be; what we can see that we can make of them, and what we mean to make of them. You known the quotation President Heber J. Grant has given so many times from Lord Lytton: "Dream, O youth, dream nobly and manfully, and your dreams shall be our prophets." The Bible says: "Your old men shall have dreams, and your young men shall see visions." Mr. Mott, who is a man well known nationally and who is worth listening to, gives as the definition of vision, as he regards it: "To see things; to see what others do not see; to see further than they see, and to see before they see." What can we say of Brigham Young as a man of vision? When he stopped on the hillside out here, where the monument has been erected, saying, "This is the place," what was the picture before him, as he looked forward? We do not need to draw on our imagination to see this picture now; we can stand there on the same spot and look out and see as an actual accomplishment what he saw with the eye of his intelligence, as we say, with prophetic vision; and long before that the Prophet Joseph Smith looked forward and saw the empire west of the Rocky Mountains that the people would build. What we see in the following lesson topics, what our visions of these subjects are, will occupy the teachers and mem- bers for the Advanced Senior classes for 1923-4: 1. Our Class: (a) Definition of vision; (b) Scope of lessons; (c) The advantages of vision and purpose. 2. My Future Self, (a) As I see myself; (b) As I purpose myself. 3. The Education for Me: (a) What I would like; (b) What I am going to have. 4. The Eternal Union. 5. My Kingdom; (a) As I see it; (b) As I build it. 6. My Institutional Obligations: State, Church, Social. 7. My Service. 8. My Service (continued). 9. My Aesthetic Existence. 10. My Physical Fitness. 11. My Spiritual Strength; Obedience to the Laws of the Lord. 12. Individual Estimates of the Course; Social, Education, Spiritual. 13. Our Community. 14. Our State. 15. Our Republic. 16. The Church as a Miracle, or as Gift from God to Man. 17. The Church as a Natural Growth. 18. The Church as a protector. 19. The Church as a Distributor of Truth. 20. The Church as a Trainer. 21. The Church as a Social Savior. 22. The Church as a Spiritual Life Pre- server. 23. The Church as the best Investment on Earth: Time, Energy, and Means. 24. Class Reunion. "Our Opportunity" In those boys between the ages of twelve and fourteen, you see in prospect, orators, statemen, scientists, artists, generals, teachers and preach-

922 IMPROVEMENT ERA era, and men who, if their lives happen to be touched just right, will make themselves renowned. It is your opportunity to touch them. If you take care of the boys, the senior department will take care of itself. This is a peculiar age of the boy — it is not the age of reason; it is the age of emo- tion, when religious feelings sweep over him, when he receives impressions lasting forever. Man does not change much after he is twenty; he may keep on growing, but after all the seed is planted. If you are going to make men of boys, you must go deeper than the intellect, you must touch the heart and the will. No man can put over to a boy something he hasn't got himself. A man cannot be a strong, silent force without at the same time inspiring those with him. The thing that saves and inspires boys is human sympathy. Human sympathy cannot be fought against successfully. There is a something about it that will melt the heart of all. — B. S. Hinckley, of the Y. M. M. I. A. Board in the General Session where Scout and Junior work was featured. "Our Plan" I have been impressed with the lives of Washington, Lincoln, Alex- ander the Great and Napoleon; but there is the great Character who will remain in history, and will impress the race as did no other Being — the man who achieved the greatest thing possible in the history of mankind. That wonderful Character must be constantly brought before youth as the great model he must follow — Jesus Christ, the Son of God. We hold fast to that ideal in our minds, and it must never be sacrificed, not for any- thing else in the world. — Oscar A. Kirkham, Executive Director, Y. M. M. I. A. "Planting the Seed of Faith" With a tree, when once the bark is cut off, the place is still rough, and sometimes, through the heat, the sunshine and the elements, the plant is warped and its beauty is greatly diminished for all time. We are the gardeners in God's great garden. Unto us is entrusted the responsibility of protecting these plants, of throwing up a bulwark that will keep the elements from knocking the branches together and bruising and barking them, and cutting out the wood that is useless and only fit for burning, while the remainder might bear good fruit. * * * We must be true ourselves if we the truth would teach. We who are the gardeners in God's great garden, among these young fellows, are the ones who are to plant the seeds of faith in their hearts in such a way that they can never forget. — Nicholas G. Smith, of the General Board, Y. M. M. I. A. The Boy Must be Shaped Before the Hardening Takes Place We are working with boys. We are working with pieces of wet clay. Our process of work with those pieces of wet clay is a process of patting and shaping. We, in the work with the wet clay, then are the sculptors, patting that wet clay so that it shall take a figure of a real scout and all that means. All too soon this piece of wet clay assumes its definite shape, and then the only process of change, the only process of affecting that piece of hard clay is a process of cracking and splitting and crumbling. Our lives as men, through our experiences, perhaps, may be likened to the splitting and crumbling, but with our boys the process of shaping began before the hardening takes place. What is the process? Shall we give these boys a book to read? Shall we show them pictures of things? No, my brothers, we cannot do it that way. This process of patting, so far as the boy is concerned, on his part, is a process of imitation. He will get his lessons of life while the clay is still wet, through imitations, and you leaders will have to guarantee that in front of that boy is placed a man

TIMELY THOUGHTS FROM THE JUNE CONFERENCE 923 worthy of his imitation. — From the address of Clwrles N. Miller, Regional Executive, Boy Scouts of America. "M" Men Final Contests in Public Speaking and Male Quartets The final contests in public speaking and male quartet singing were held on Friday afternoon, June 8. Mario Pusey, representing Salt Lake stake, was adjudged win- ner in the final public speaking-contest, the other contestant being LeRoy Neeley, of the Idaho district. Mario is the son of Mr. and Mrs. J. S. Pusey of Woodruff, Utah, and is a mem- ber of the editorial staff of The Deseret News. He spoke on "Leadership."' In the semi- final contests, others who took part were Verle Fry, Logan district; L. R. Budge, Ogden dis- trict; Charles H. Dixon, Utah county district; May McMurray, Idaho district. Mr. Pusey was the representative of the 22nd ward, and has won out in four preliminary contests. He is a graduate of the L. D. S. University, 1922, having been valedictorian of the Senior class MARLO PUSEY an<^ editor of the Gold and Blue. The Utah stake quartet, composed of Carrell Waters, Howard Waters, THE WINNING QUARTET

924 IMPROVEMENT ERA Glenn Holley, and Leslie Houtz, all of Mapleton, took first place in the singing contest, having won out in their district. The other quartet contesting was composed of Louis Iverson, Lester Hovey, Anthon Lund anl Herschel Lund. The song was "Rocked in the Cradle of the Deep." Church Organization for Recreation The men and women who are chosen to head this recreational work must not only be interested in recreational work; they must be spiritul minded individuals as well, seeing the point of view that the ultimate purpose of our being interested in this recreational work is to keep our young people safe, pure, and under the influence of the Church, and keep them in such environment that they ultimately will find their way into some one or other of the Church organizations, Priesthood quo- rums, Sunday schools and other organizations — the end being to establish in their hearts faith in God, love for his work, desire to serve and keep themselves during their leisure time period free from the vices and sins and contaminating influences of the world. — Superintendent Melvin J. Ballard, in the joint assembly featuring recreation. Objectives in the Recreational Program Our great purpose is to use the recreational facilities and these ac- tivities to promote higher ideals, character and better social relationship. We believe that while we come together in a great many ways in a busi- ness way, in a political way, in social ways and religiously, perhaps we can increase our sympathy if we meet in places for mere enjoyment, where we can live our natural selves, that is, where we can laugh and sing and play. These are instinctive tendencies in human nature, and if we want to know human nature well, we must observe how human nature responds to these situations. I believe we will think more of one another, love one another more, if we get together and laugh and sing and play together. We need all the health and vitality that God has given us and we cannot afford, and we do not want our youth to dissipate their lives in recreation and thus suffer the consequences later, and have others suffer because of their carelessness — we want wholesome, outdoor activity that will develop the physical power of the individual. — Chairman Ephraim E. Erickson, of the Recreation Committee. "Putting Over the Recreational Program" No scientist ever solved1 the problem of health and disease who had not vision. No statesman of international conclave ever worked for the weal of humanity without vision. No sculptor ever chiseled away at irregular marble without embodying vision. No great religious leader or social leader but what was possessed with a power of vision to see into the future and into the hearts of men. * * * We must have right vision, and that vision we will have in proportion to our seeking after it and our power to grasp it and to follow its light. Recreation is not an antidote for evil; it is not a substitute for vice; it is not a passively good thing to keep people out of mischief; it is the warp and woof out of which a well rounded life can be woven, the material for giving benefit, life, experience, a vital, fundamental means to growth and power, not only as a substitute but it is valuable in itself. If recrea- tion is to fill up a vacancy, just a vacuum, it is not worth while; if it is vibrant with meaningful life value, then it is one of the greatest of na- tional activities. — Charlotte Stewart of the General Board Y. L. M. I. A.

TIMELY THOUGHTS FROM THE JUNE CONFERENCE 925 Advanced Senior Class Matters At the department meeting of the Advanced Senior Class, the general view was held, that interest in some things interefered with consistent interest being given to all things. The following special discoveries were stated for the benefit of workers: That where the teacher is a good lecturer the attendance is easily kept up, indicating that there is a class of M. I. A. workers who would rather listen than read, preferring to deal with ready-made ideas than to think them out for themselves. It was also discovered that there is little difference between the methods of the lower classes and those of the Advanced Senior grade, and the members are treated as boys and girls rather than as mature men and women. Aptness and illustrative skill in applying lessons to life are qualities of our best class leaders. Definite individual assignments secure the best preparation. Women make successful class leaders. A large number of the class leaders of the Advanced Senior Class are among the best informed and most spirited men and women of the communities — leading Church officials, doctors, judges, professors in colleges, high school principals and teachers. The Advanced Senior Class furnishes the means of reaching this class of people. It was noticed that mere com- munity publicity of the work will help to make it a greater success than ever. The following suggestions were made: That a class membership com- mittee devise means and methods to secure attendance, and that more attention be paid to keeping up an interest in the class organization by making the election of class officers! more of an event. Each set of of- ficers should see to it that the work does not lag under their administra- tion and that class leaders be relieved of all executive responsibility other than that of class management during the recitative periods; also, that the class leaders be encouraged by the receipt of expressive appre- ciation now and then by the members and by the organization, because it is true that the encouragement by the receiver of the service increases the efficiency of the giver of service. Responsibility in Teaching the "M" Men The period between the age of 17 and 23 years is the really critical time in the life of a man. During that period his character is formed, he decides upon his life work, maps out his career and chooses his wife. How necessary, then, how absolutely important, that he shall be carefully guided, instructed and guarded during this period of his life. Evil as- sociations and lack of careful guardianship at this time may mar his whole life; while loving, wise, and faithful guidance may make it. To you officers, my brethren, is given the mighty task of shaping the lives ol the young men of Israel by a faithful, earnest, prayerful devotion to your duty, as instructors and leaders of the youth. You who have accepted this mission have taken upon you great obligations. You cannot escape the responsibility of the calling. It implies devotion, self-sacrificing service, prayerfulness, pure example, preparation, study. How will you dis- charge this sacred obligation? The young men are the greatest asset of the Church. God give us to see the greatness of the task before us, that we may love it and acquit ourselves like true men and lovers of God and his children. Why the "M" Men Movement? The special intent of the half-hour given over to the "M" Men is to furnish the Senior young men the self-development that comes from the exercise of initiative. We are satisfied this is a good movement and the

926 IMPROVEMENT ERA General Board desires that it shall be put into operation in all the Asso- ciations. The Board has decided to carry their privilege one step further this season. Hereafter the "M" men, as such, have functioned only during the last half-hour of the class period. This means that the member of the Senior Class who is elected president of the "M" Men shall conduct the class under the direction or the presidency of the Senior Class leader. When the Association separates for class work and the Senior Class has reached its class room, the "M" Men's president should call it to order, direct such preliminary exercises as will be necessary, and then turn the class over to the Senior Class leader to conduct the lesson, and the Senior leader shall turn it back to the president at the close of the lesson. The Senior leader should be careful to finish the lesson work within the speci- fied time so as not to encroach upon the time reserved for the "M" Men's activity. The place of the Senior leader is very important. His title plainly implies his responsibility. > Senior Leader He must be careful to allow the young men under his leadership the fullest freedom of action, and never forget that they are to exercise that freedom under his guidance. He is in charge, ever ready for encourage- ment, direction, loving counsel and even kind reproof when necessary. Never with harshness, but always an ever-present influence, leading in the right direction, and ever-present controlling power. The movement was instituted primarily to satisfy the craving of the young man to do things himself. He wants especially to do things for himself. He is restive under restraint. He believes he knows best how to do things. He has not yet learned much of the law of self-denial. The truth that in order that society may exist, each member thereof, must surrender some portion of his personal liberty, has not taken hold of his consciousness. If at this period he is not handled carefully and withal firmly, he is liable to over- ride all restraint and authority, and to make a great failure. In order to provide opportunity for the proper exercise of his natural impulses to do things, the "M" Men's movement was inaugurated. We are living in a time when every inducement is offered to boys to join organizations in which the members have entire control and where they have the fullest liberty in matters of organization, selection of officers, etc. The out- standing idea of the Church in organization and selection of officers is that the suggestions in such matters come from the Lord through the presiding officers, and not from the people to the leaders. The beauty of such an order is susceptible to the clearest proof, but youth is not always amenable to instruction, and particularly to oral instruction in such doctrines, and as a matter of leading them to an appreciation of this law of the Lord, it was believed to be wise to let them control their own organization under the leadership of wise brethren teaching them and helping them through the experiment, and so give them proof that in the Church there is afforded them every opportunity for the development and exercise of every proper impulse and power. The educational principle in learning and growing through action was recognized. The Associations, the Church, the world, needs leaders, and the "M" Men's movement furnishes experience in leading. Small, it is true it may be at first, but leading to the ability to direct and control larger nffairs. Our program for the young men includes opportunity for ex- perience in conducting meetings, organizing clubs, leagues, etc., leading ••tit in social and civic affairs, presiding at dinners and banquets, varied «nd splendid opportunities for developing leadership and power. The *"M" Men's movement we consider one of the greatest we have started

TIMELY THOUGHTS FROM THE JUNE CONFERENCE 927 in years of training of young men in usefulness in every walk in life, the highest citizenship in the state and for the greatest worth to the Church. Let us get behind the movement, put it in operation, develop its power for good and blessings, and always remember that we use it for the devel- opment of true, faithful Latter-day Saints. — From talk by Thos. Hull, of the General Board, Y. M. M. I. A. Making Latter-day Saints Through Scouting When we analyze the oath and law of a Scout we learn that it covers many great essential requirements of a real Latter-day Saint, teaching him: Duty to God; reverence, love of country, to respect and obey consti- tuted authority; to keep his body clean, to be physically strong, mentally awake and morally straight; virtue, and giving loving service to all of God's children. "Doing his good turn daily." Being courteous, kind, cheerful, thrifty, brave and clean. "Be prepared," is the scout's motto; prepared for what? To serve mankind. How is he prepared? By learning to give first aid, life sav- ing, tracking, tying knots, compass for direction, public health, pathfinding and use the knife and hatchet in the open; signalling, scout pace, etc. Scouting is organized with a system of promotion, based on advance- ment and preparation for service, with badges and insignia that are attractive and of interest to every living boy. It is a program that works. This program is a great contributor in the lives of boys, in helping to be real Latter-day Saints; but the great problem is one of leadership. We must get men of faith and character, real Latter-day Saints trained in scoutcraft, to use the wonderful boy scout program in the junior work. Just because a man has had training in the army, or is athletically inclined, is by no means an assurance that he will make a proper scout master. These experiences are helpful, but the most important thing is that he is a real Latter-day Saint, with the desire in his heart to make good Latter- day Saints of all the boys he is privileged to associate with, developing in their lives the element of spirituality. With such a man and with such a program, great blessings would come to the boys of our Church. In using the scout program in the M. I. A. the General Board has made a great contribution for years in the Junior Manual. This is a wonderful help to the scout master in assisting him in teaching his scouts; duty to God, reverence, obedience to God's commandments and constituted authority, developing spirituality in their lives. The manual has been planned to fit in the scout program and should be carefully used throughout the year in the scout class. — Datus E. Hammond, assistant scout executive, Salt Lake Council. Developing Leadership Through the Patrol System of Scouting Leadership is not secured by the lecture method or the information route. The only way to make leaders is by practice. > If a boy is going to be a camper he must camp — if a leader, lead. The scoutmaster who does the whole thing, who is the big it, as it were, is not only over-worked and swamped with detail, but he is actually appropriating to himself that which belongs to the boy. You cannot develop the maximum amount of leadership in boys without using the Patrol System. A troop not organized and operated on the Patrol System is not a troop of scouts in the light of the scout program, says Barclay. They are

928 IMPROVEMENT ERA a class of just boys, may live as a class because of the personality and influence of their leader, but when he is gone the class is gone. Under the Patrol System, if the scoutmaster is gone the troop still lives and another man may step in and assume guidance, not become king. The boys are doing what is being done and the scoutmaster simply guiding what is being done. The boys do all the doing and not the scoutmaster — A. A. Anderson, Provo, Utah. Recruiting and Training Scoutmasters George Goats, of Ogden, spoke on this subject and he called attention to these five things you must do if you succeed as a scoutmaster. (Adapted from Scouting, December 11, 1919) : 1. You must have a definite program. 2. You must take the boy out of doors. 3. You must see that your boys get thorough instruction. 4. You must have your troop organized: (a) Organize into an efficient working unit; (b) you have no right to conduct scouting as merely a group of boys with a leader; (c) Make your troop committee feel their responsi- bility and direct their efforts in carrying their part of the (job) program. 5. You must bring the scout oath and law into every boy's daily life. Can you dp these five things? The same things that spell your success in business or a profession will be the test in Scouting — here they are: 1. Are you sincere? Do you really desire to lead scouts or are you a scoutmaster because someone asked you to be one? 2. Are you going about the job intelligently? 3. Are you optimistic? If you have this five-fold task in mind, and can answer these three questions in the affirmative, then you will be a success as a leader of boys — and an efficient scoutmaster. Music as a Language The desire for more love, more health, more joy, and more happiness is universal. Music fulfils, in large measure, this desire, if the individual has the power to interpret the message. Some are able to intuitively catch this, but the majority must be taught to recognize it. They must be taught the characteristic rhythms and melodies that illustrate the musical thought of the composer. It is through this process that the music grows familiar and the musical taste is cultivated. * * * The influence of music is cultural, refining, and elevating; it will surely strengthen the morale of our people. It is our duty to give our young people good music. It is the only way to stand off that which is low and coarse. There are two classes of musicians: those who listen and those who perform, and some of the most musical people I have met in my travels over the United States are those who cannot play or sing one note of music. Some of the most unmusical people that I have met in my travels are those who both sing and play. They are selfishly interested in their own performance of music and seldom care to listen to others. We want more intelligent listeners to music. We will always have popular music as long as we have common people and Abraham Lincoln said: "The Lord must have loved the com- mon people because he made so many of them," so we have a great many common people and we will have popular music always; but let us have that popular music good and not low and coarse and demoralizing as it is today. Plato said: "The education of heroes shall be gymnastics for the body and music for the soul." — Miss Margaret Streeter, National authority on Music Appreciation.

TIMELY THOUGHTS FROM THE JUNE CONFERENCE 929 The Faith of Our Fathers as Expresed in Their Worship of the Living God Some 103 year ago the Prophet Joseph, then a boy of 15, being very much perplexed because of the religious strife and turmoil that character- ized the period, went before the Lord. He had tremendous faith in the Lord's promises and he called upon him to fulfil one of these promises, and because of that boy's faith, the Father and the Son appeared to him and settled the question of the nature of God for all time. It was not the idol gods of paganism; it was not the God that sectarianism teaches that nobody can understand ; it was not the God of modern philosophy — it was the true and living God, Jehovah — the God of Israel. The followers of Joseph Smith expressed their faith in their worship of God. They expressed it in their prayer — their individual, secret prayer, their family prayer, and their congregational prayers at services of wor- ship; they expressed it in their obedience to the commandments of God. They expressed it in their business by paying their tithes and their offerings, and by their just dealings with their fellow men. They expressed it further in their recreation — in the song, in the dance, and in presentation of the drama. Their entire lives expressed their worship of our Father in heaven. — Elder Joseph Fielding Smith, of the Council of the Twelve. The Faith of Our Fathers as Expressed in Their Loyalty to the Institutions of the Gospel It is altogether proper that we ask ourselves from whence came our testimony and why are we continuing the work of our fathers. The more clearly we contemplate this subject the more clearly do we determine that the reason we are following in their footsteps is because their religion is one of action, and not entirely of words. They carried their faith over into their deeds — they lived the gospel. We do praise our ancestors; we bow our heads in reverence to their noble work and their beautiful example, but we do feel that what has been done can be done, and the youth of Zion today rise up and say, "We will do our part." All honor to our ancestors and all praise and hope for the youth of Zion who bear their names. — Vilate S. Chambers, of the General Board Y. L. M. I. A. The Faith of Our Fathers in the Service of God and Humanity Life is judged by love, and love is known by its fruits. No people has shown more love for God and humanity than the Latter-day Saints. Service to them has been a divine school of discipline, a time of proba- tion, a time of character building, for God does not give to us character but opportunities. Our forefathers were not masters of the service they were called to render but masters of the spirit in which they did it. They not only preached "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done,"1 but by their works did manifest their sincerity. * * * In service alone is found true nobility of 60ul. — Eleanor B. Thomas, of the General Board Y. L. M. I. A. The Faith of Our Fathers in Avoiding Evil Through Wholesome Recreation Brigham Young once said: "In all our exercises of body and mind, it is well to remember the Lord. If it cannot be so, I do not care to see another party while I live." Conduct at socials which are opened by

930 IMPROVEMENT ERA prayer is more likely to be in harmony with the teachings of the gospel than is conduct at other socials. Prayer, apart from its other values, has a disciplinary effect. Recreation of whatever nature or form, under the direction of the Church, should make true Latter-day Saints. It should increase the spirit of brotherly love and sympathy, break down undesirable class distinction, develop leadership, promote health, direct and develop the power of self expression, direct the emotional expression and develop culture and re- finement.— John T. Wahlquist. The Faith of Our Fathers in Preserving the Sanctity and Virtue of the Family One of the greatest duties of parents in the home is to teach their children love of God, of truth, honor, virtue and chastity. The child's spiritual guidance should not be chanced alone to the fact that he will receive sufficient in the organizations, but his religious training should be carried on in the home, not only by teaching, but by example as well as precept. President Smith said: "The ideal home is one in which all worldly considerations are secondary, one in which the father is devoted to the family, one in which the mother takes every pleasure in her chil- dren, supported by the father, all being moral, pure, and Godly." God knows the value of a good home environment, and when he wished to remake the world, he placed Moses in a home where he had a Godly father and mother, and one of the most dominating influences in his life was that of his mother, Jochebed. It was not her great culture; it was not her high social standing that made Moses what he was, but her strong faith.— Lois Anderson. The Faith of Our Fathers in Their Hopes for the Future of Zion The desire of the youth of Israel today, if I know them, is that they may learn the will of our heavenly Father, that they may not be side- tracked by the influences of evil, that they may stand in their places, sons and daughters of the living God, created in his image, with a determina- tion to be worthy of that image while they remain upon the earth, with a determination to vindicate the faith of their forebears by living to be such men and women as the world will delight to honor and bless. — Supt. George Albert Smith. Benediction A deep, mysterious silence that enfolds the form of night, A peaceful, white effulgence haloing her brow with light; Salient silhouettes of shadow resting dark against the grass, Like the minor chords of music, greater harmony to cast; God's ethereal reflections set in limpid depths of blue, Watchful as the faithful virgins with their lamps of radiance true; Resonant from out the distance, plaintive notes, a bird's low call, Teach to me a benediction for the care divine o'er all. Provo, Utah. Grace Ingles Frost.