--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Hogensen, J. C. collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 27 number: 4 published: 1924-02 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: "J. C. Hogensen, “The Songs of Zion Are Prayers unto the Lord,” *Improvement Era 27, no. 4 (February 1924)*: 333–334." source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera2704unse 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: improvementera2704unse start_page: 333 end_page: 334 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1924-02) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera2704unse publication_year: 1924 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 1924, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # The Songs of Zion Are Prayers unto the Lord THE SONGS OF ZION ARE PRAYERS UNTO THE LORD By J. C. Hogensen One of the inspiring songs that has held me completely enraptured and has made me feel the greatness of God, and the value and necessity of doing God's work, is the one entitled, "My Prayer," by P. P. Bliss, and is found on page 294 of the Deseret Sunday School Song Book. The inspiration for its composition came from reading the forty- eighth verse of the fifth chapter of Matthew, "Be ye therefore perfect even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." The striving toward the perfect should be the ambition of every Latter-day Saint. The song reads as follows, but its real soul-inspiring value can- not be appreciated until the music accompanies it — soft, sweet, pure- toned, harmonious, and melodious. It grips the heart-strings, and holds one to close attention, interest and meditation: More holiness give me, more strivings within; More patience in suffering, more sorrow for sin; More faith in my Savior, more sense of his care: More joy in his service, more purpose in prayer. More gratitude give me, more trust in the Lord; More pride in his glory, more hope in his word; More tears for his sorrows, more pain at his grief; More meekness in trial, more praise for relief. More purity give me, more strength to o'ercome; More freedom from earth-stains, more longings for home; More fit for the kingdom, more used would I be; More blessed and holy, more, Savior, like thee. Among the things that count most, if we would be the beings God expects us to be, are not only to seem or pretend to be more holy, but actually to be so by encouraging the strivings within our own soul; to be more patient in our sufferings, to sense a greater and deeper feeling of sorrow for sin, to create a greater faith, a greater sense and desire for keeping God's commandments, to sense a deeper feeling of joy in serving him will enable us to put more purpose and reality into our prayers and supplications. "Give us gratitude, O, Lord! that we may put implicit faith and trust in thee." The pride that fills our hearts when we see his glory will give us more hope and trust in his word. Our tears for his sor- row and our pain at his grief will make us more sympathetic, more meek and lowly as our Savior. "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." Those who are pure in heart will have more strength to overcome and with- stand trials and temptations. The more free we can keep ourselves from the earthly and carnal, the more blessed and holy we become and the nearer we become like the Savior himself. This should be our earnest desire. 334 IMPROVEMENT ERA Thou shall love the Lord thy God. with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. If we love him we will keep his commandments implicitly, and will feed his sheep. Agricultural College, Logan, Utah. YESTERDAY By Joseph Quinney, Jr., President of the Canadian Mission Yesterday, with all her gifts, promises, joys and opportunities, has forever passed beyond my reach and the power of my control. Yesterday, recorded all my performances of the day. Were they high and lofty, filled with results, or were they weighed in the balance of neglect and indifference? Yesterday, held for me the great gift of work, there were twenty- four hours of time at my disposal, I was either slow to grasp the op- portunities, or else I responded to the mighty call of service. Yesterday, was ablaze with problems, some one was busy in their solution, they were adding to the world knowledge, either in the home, in the town, in the city, in the state or in the nation. New truths were being unfolded and moving the world with light and power and bringing to the human race a deeper meaning of life. Where did I stand in the solution of yesterday's problems? Yesterday, gave me the high privilege of feeling a little deeper the joy's of life and the things I should do so as to appreciate to the fullest the richness of life. Yesterday, my friends were in need of sympathetic encourage- ment, they were looking and waiting for me. Did I measure up to expectations? Did I arrive in time? Yesterday, told me that friendship was a deep and sacred thing. Did I betray the confidence that tied together these bonds of holy union? Yesterday, found me obligated to carry a message of love to the hearts of my fellowmen, indeed, I felt the mighty sense of duty upon me, there was vouchsafed to me a sacred calling. Did I permit the hour to pass without responding to such a responsibility? Yesterday, provided the time and place for me to speak to God and tell him of my genuine gratitude for His Goodness and His Great Love. Also to have a better knowledge of him and the purpose he had in my creation. Is it possible that I was so much engrossed in the material things of life that this holy communion with God was omitted? Yesterday? All I have of it is a memory, a memory of what I could, and should have been. It has now passed into God's care. But today is mine: mine: The morning breaks and with it the great