Salvation First

SALVATION FIRST By Orson F. Whitney, of the Council of the Twelve Two ministers were conversing. One said to the other: "Why is your chapel always filled with eager listeners, while mine is half empty and my congregation listless and inattentive? My talents are equal to yours, and my education as complete. What is the secret of your superior hold on the hearts and minds of the people? Why do they like to hear you speak, and why do they not like to hear me?" The one addressed replied: "It is because you are always telling them that if they don't do certain things they'll be damned; while I am telling them that if they do certain things they will be saved. That is the secret." This anecdote sets one to thinking. It is psychologically true. Nobody enjoys being scolded and threatened, even when it is deserved. Harsh words have a tendency to harden the hearts of those at whom they are directed, and to bar out the message that the speaker or writer seeks to deliver. Men and women would rather be persuaded to do right. They don't want the Gospel thrown at them like a brickbat. Who can blame them? Doctor Angell — I think it was he — said at our June Conference: "Children should not be com- pelled to go to school; but school should be made so attractive that the children could not be kept away." Will not the same argu- ment apply to church-going, and to "children of a larger growth?" There is no theme so beautiful, so sublime, so soul-satisfying as the Gospel. And the Saints know it when they hear it, and they love it above all other things. But they cannot be fed with chaff: they demand wheat — the true grain. The sheep know the voice of the Shepherd, and a stranger they will not follow. But the Gospel, in order to make the quickest and best impression, must be preached in a winning way. "No power or influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the Priesthood, only by persuasion, by long suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned." So taught the Prophet Joseph Smith, and this applies to preaching, just as much as to any other exercise of that divine authority without which the Gospel would be but a name — a machine without the motive power. The minister who preaches salvation has a tremendous ad- vantage over the one who makes damnation his constant theme. The former not only carries his congregation with him, but he follows the example set by the Savior when he gave his apostles the message they were to deliver to all the world: "He that believeth

SALVATION FIRST 1027 and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned." Damnation is no part of the Gospel of Christ. "What!" ex- claims one. "Have you not just quoted the Christ as saying, 'He that believeth not shall be damned'?" Yes, but He did not say it until after He had said, "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved." He put salvation first. Damnation, the alternative, was given a subordinate place. I repeat, there is no damnation in the Gospel of Christ; it is "the power of God unto salvation." But there is plenty of damnation outside of it. The Gospel is the ladder to eternal life, and every round of it spells salvation. The refusal to climb the ladder is what brings damnation, or condemnation, which is the sad but inevitable consequence of rejecting the offer of salvation. Great is the worth of souls in the sight of God. His work and his glory is "to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." The purpose of all Gospel preaching is to convert souls to Christ, bring sinners to repentance, feed the flock of the Good Shepherd, and prevent the sheep from straying. This being the case, the Gospel should be presented in a way to invite, and not repel. This can be done without compromise with error, without any catering or pandering to passion or prejudice. The Gospel needs no sugar- coating; it is sweet in and of itself. Only to the soured and em- bittered does it seem otherwise. God is not trying to damn the world, but to save it; and save it He will. His ministers are the saviors of men. Their mission is to rescue and redeem. Like faithful firemen, they "aim to aid and work to save." The true minister will present his message in a manner that will appeal most strongly to the best impulses of the human heart. He cannot, of course, change the Gospel, to make it palatable to any perverted taste. But he can and should teach it as the Master taught it, placing salvation first, and condemnation afterwards — if it be needed to emphasize the saving message and render its ac- ceptance more likely. Some will not accept it, of course. Some will not be saved. But that is not the fault of the plan of salvation, which was designed to save all — not by compulsion, but by the exercise of man's free agency. There are many who will harden their hearts against the Truth; but even these must be patiently labored with. Preaching to them in an unkind spirit is not the best way to soften their hearts or leave them without excuse at the Day of Judgment. Who knows but some of them may plead in justification, when they stand before the Great White Throne, that the harsh preaching of the Message of Mercy prevented them from seeing its beauties and sensing its saving powers? Why is it that the spirit of uncharity, a desire to destroy rather

102 8 IMPROVEMENT ERA than to save, is so often found in people whose lives — outwardly at least — are correct, and who pride themselves on their zeal for truth and righteousness? In a comic play that I witnessed, one of the characters, Widow Bedott, is made to say: "I believe in election and damnation — the election of myself and the damnation of everybody else; and you don't know what a comfort it is." That is putting salvation first with a vengeance. Yes, there are people like that in this world, but none, I hope, in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — self-righteous people, proud of their humility, who know nothing of charity and mercy, and would not be happy in heaven unless they knew that somebody was in hell. "What's the use of being saved, if nobody is going to be damned" — is their favorite slogan. The Gospel eradicates all such feelings, makes the heart tender and pleads for the salvation, and not the destruction, of God's sons and daughters. My advice to missionaries, at home or abroad, based upon an experience of nearly fifty years as preacher and teacher by tongue and pen, is this: Preach the Gospel in the spirit of kindness and love. Put salvation first; make it the dominant theme. Do every- thing -in your power to win souls for Him who said: "Behold, I say unto you, that the thing which will be of the most worth unto you, will be to declare repentance unto this people, that you may bring souls unto me." "And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father." Radio Waves It is easier to live down a lie than to talk it down. Some men rob themselves when they call others hard names. A man isn't always cool when he shivers in the hour of danger. Advice is like snow; the softer it falls the deeper it sinks into the mind. No person ought to complain if the world measures him as he measures others. Difficulties are always mountains until you meet them; mole-hills after you have passed them. Self-love is the most delicate yet the most tenacious of our sentiments; a mere nothing will wound it, yet nothing on earth will kill it. A man has no more right to say an uncivil thing than to act un- civilly— no more right to say a rude thing to another than to knock him down. San Diego, Cal. DOROTHY C RBTSLOFF.

SCOUTING AN IMPORTANT FACTOR IN PROMOTING SAFETY* By Dr. Richard R. Lyman, Utah Representative on Execu- tive Committee of Region Twelve, Boy Scouts of America I have been invited as a scout official to deliver this address. Whether extending this invitation is in accordance with your former practice or not I do not know. This is such a wise and fitting method of procedure, however, that I take this opportunity of urging that in the future other invitations be extended to other scout officials with the hope that so doing be a means of bringing about the most effective possible cooperation between these two great agencies, both of which are struggling to save human life. "A Scout is helpful — he must be prepared at any time to save life." This is a portion of the Scout law. In accordance with its provisions, half a million bright-eyed, quick-witted American boys are prepared, at any time, to save life. And they have been carefully trained how, under practically all usual conditions, this can be done. Recently in our own neighborhood the brake slipped, and an automobile containing a child began moving, first slowly, and then more rapidly, toward the steep downward slope of a dangerous hill- side. One of these half million boy scouts of Amtrica sized-up the situation quickly, sprang to the brake, saved the automobile from being wrecked, and the child from an accident that might have been fatal. The deep gratitude of the child's father which he has attempted repeatedly to express can be best imagined. At a banquet given in this city recently, by a group of Boy Scouts to their fathers and mothers, one frail little fellow with com- plexion and hair as light as his Scandinavian mother's hair and eyes are black, stood before that great group of boys and grownups and explained how he remembered when he saw his companion drowning in Utah Lake that "a Scout is reverent", and that his mother had taught him to place his trust in Divine Providence. There was hardly a dry eye at the banquet table — even the fathers shed tears — when this little fellow explained how, with his trust thus placed, he swam out into the deep water and successfully brought his drowning companion to the shore. An audience in the Tabernacle in this city listened in breathless silence recently when a Boy Scout from Northern Utah was awarded ♦Delivered before the Safety Section of the Annual Convention of the Amer- ican Railway Asspciation at 9:30 3. nv. Thursday, June 26. 1924, Salt Lake City, Utah.

1030 IMPROVEMENT ERA a national certificate of honor for bringing a drowning companion to the shore of a swift moving stream. These boys are trained to save life, to practice safety first. They are prepared. So far as I know, a well-trained scout has never failed in an effort to save a drowning person. If my memory serves me right, untrained men fail in such an undertaking oftener than they succeed. The untrained lose their own lives in such an effort more frequently than they save the individual in distress. While the instances referred to are necessarily somewhat dramatic, boy scouts regard their efforts as most commendable when least dramatic. A story will illustrate what I mean. As the Assistant Secretary of the Treasury walked down Pennsylvania Avenue, he saw "News- paper Mary" in great trouble because the wind was scattering her papers in all directions. Quick as a flash a boy leaped from a passing street car, gathered up the papers, folded them carefully, put them in a smooth pile, and placed a heavy stone upon them. As the boy dashed away, the Assistant Secretary of the Treasury hailed him, and asked his name. In the true scout spirit the boy replied: "That would spoil it all. All you need to know, Sir, is that I am a Boy Scout." As he finished his remark the scout caught a passing street car and disappeared. On the railroads of the United States annually, approximately 2,500 trespassers are killed and a like number are injured. Nor arc all of these of the "hobo" type. Many are respected citizens. The last official figures of the Inter-State Commerce Commission available are for the year 1922. In that year 2,430 fatalities oc- curred, and 2,844 individuals were injured, or those trespassing on railroad tracks sustained a total of 5,274 casualties. Think of it. This is an average of nearly twelve per day. I am sure you will be surprised to know that 202 of those who were killed and 247 of those seriously injured, were children under 14 years of age. Many walk on railroad tracks or jump on moving trains as a short-cut home, or a short-cut to work. So doing, many times too often, proves but a short-cut to the grave. If the 2,500 persons who are killed annually while trespassing on railroads were killed in a single accident, as on the Titanic or the Lusitania, the whole woild would be stirred with the seriousness of the situation. But since these deaths come along but one or two at a time, they actually arouse but little public interest. Accidents are by no means confined to those which occur on railroads. We are told in our scout literature that during the nineteen months war with Germany, 128,000 men, women and children were killed by accident in peaceful America. Look at the red trail of the automobile. It is said that an automobile kills somebody on the

SCOUTING A FACTOR IN PROMOTING SAFETY 1031 streets or highways of America every forty minutes, and that during this same period the automobile injures more than two others. Ten thousand persons were killed by automobiles in 1922. Accidents are occurring everywhere, in the home, on the street, in the school, in the factory, on the railroads, on the sea, etc. Thousands and thou- sands of the lives of children and wage earners are taken every year by accident; 19,257 children under 14 years were killed by accident in 1919; 6,000 of these deaths were due to burns. It is estimated that 50% of these fatalities result from accidents that occur in homes. It is estimated further that the loss annually in the United States because of accidents exceeds $300,000,000. Over 2,000,000 accidents occur annually. The resulting loss and suffering can hardly be pictured in the imagination. Of these accidents it is estimated that more than 50%? are due to preventable causes. The census report for one year gives the following statistics: Deaths by fire 5,884 Deaths by drowning 7,03 6 Deaths by falls, etc 9,842 Deaths by au tomobiles 9,903 It is stated that during the last 60 years, three millions of deaths have occurred, one-half of which were preventable. Typhoid fever, of which we have heard so much, does not compare with ac- cidents as a cause of death in our country. And while typhoid fever is constantly decreasing, accidents are constantly increasing. If this increase continues, the annual death rate from accidents will soon exceed the appalling annual death rate from tuberculosis. During the last few years the ever-increasing number of accidents has created a general awakening with the result that the Safety First movement has become nation-wide. Many agencies are actively and effectively engaged in furthering this splendid cause. In this move- ment the Boy Scouts of America are playing an important part by rendering swift and efficient service along preventive lines. The Safety First program for the Boy Scouts of America is an elaborate one. The National Scout organization has published Safety First instructions in great detail, including those for safety in the home, on the street, at school, at fires, during panics, about railroad tracks and yards, etc., etc. Scouts who are awarded merit badges for Safety First have had a training that will assist them greatly to be wise public officials if they happen to be called into public service. Those thus trained will be a leaven that will assist in leavening the whole lump — that is, they will be important factors in teaching the whole community how to reduce to a minimum the 50% of accidents which are prevent- able. As a scout official, I urge you splendid, efficient workers of this Safety Section, to give to this Scout movement in every section of the country your most hearty cooperation and support, I know

103 2 IMPROVEMENT ERA of no other agency for safety which is so deserving of your support, and I am sure your cooperation with this National organization and its great army of workers will reap rich results. May I draw your attention to some of the safety instructions which scouts are expected to know? They are taught in the first place that "Safety Begins at Home." Following are some of the instructions which emphasize: (a) Safety in the home: "Pick up pins and needles; they cause the death of many babies. "Keep medicines out of the reach of small children. "A thoughtful scout will not leave anything on the stairs that may cause others to trip, slip, or fall, thus preventing injury to himself and to others. "Scalding water tipped from the edge of the stove may cause a fatal accident to a small sister or brother. "Be on the 'look out' for sharp knives, etc. They should be kept out of reach of small children. "Rugs should lie flat. Serious falls come from tripping over rugs. "Keep your yard free from broken glass, rusty wire, and projecting nails. "To play with matches is dangerous. "Let dad's gun alone. "A scout sometimes does his good turn by warning others against the use of kerosene and gasoline when lighting a fire. "Keep all combustible articles, other than fuel for immediate use, away from the stove. "Curtains or woodwork are sometimes ignited by gas jets. "See that the chimneys are examined twice a year to keep the flues clear. "Sixty per cent of all fires start in closets, cellars, or attics. Keep them clean and free from rags and dry wood. "See that the fire escapes and halls are kept clear of obstruction. "A scout will not carry a lighted match or lamp or candle into a closet. "Burn greasy or oily rags and paper immediately after using. "When emptying gasoline or benzine cans, pour the contents on the ground away from buildings, instead of into sinks or drains. "Handling the electric wiring of a house is dangerous and may cost considerable for repairs." (b) Safety in the street: "It is dangerous to play in the street. Be careful. Crossing "Cross street's at the corners and at right angles, instead of diagonally. "A scout does not cross the street in front of a moving vehicle. "Always look in both directions before crossing; it never pays to run, you may fall. "Be careful in crossing behind a vehicle, one may be coming in the opposite direction. "Wait for the policeman's signal, that you may not interfere with traffic. "Keep to the right in walking and in entering doorways. "When waiting for a far, gtgnd on the curb, not in the middle of the street,,

SCOUTING A FACTOR IN PROMOTING SAFETY 1033 "Enter a car on the right hand side, facing toward it. Grasp the forward handle. "Get on with right hand and left foot; get off with left hand and right foot. "Get off face forward and outward, retaining firm hold of handle until feet are firmly on the ground. Watch for teams and autos when you get off. Look both ways. "Always wait until the car stops, getting on or off. "The signals for stopping and starting a street car are: one bell — stop, two bells — start, three bells — stop immediately. (Used for emergencies.) "It is dangerous to let any part of your body project from the car window or platform. "The scout is trustworthy; he rides in the car instead of on the bumpers. Wires "To handle wires of any kind, hanging from poles or trees, or to tamper with them may cause a serious accident or death. They may be live wires. "Report broken wires to Police Department by telephone immediately. "A scout will not fly a kite near wires or use a wire for a kite string, as it may make a contact with a live wire and cause injury or death. "A scout protects property; he will not throw stones or shoot at the glass insulators on the poles. "A scout knows of better places to play than around arc light poles. He knows that it is dangerous. "A scout knows that to throw a string or wire over a trolley or other wire carrying a current is dangerous, because it is likely to produce a shock. Fires "Know the location of fire alarm boxes. "Know how to turn in a fire alarm. After turning in an alarm, stay at the box until the arrival of the department to tell them where the fire is. "When you hear a fire alarm, keep on the sidewalk. "A scout will invade the fire lines at a fire only when permitted to do so by the authorities. Railroad Tracks and Yards "It is dangerous to play along railroad tracks or on railroad bridges. Trains may be expected at any time. "Keep out of railroad yards. "Keep off sidings and cars standing on tracks. "Riding on steps and platforms is dangerous, as is climbing through cars when standing or moving. Wait until the car stops to get on or off. "When crossing railroad tracks stop, and listen; look in both directions. "A bell ringing or a moving signal arm indicates a train is approaching. "Notify the station agent, track foreman, or some other official of the railroad whenever you discover a fire on railroad property. As scouts you should put out any fire you may discover, unless instructed differently by railroad employees or officials. "To walk around lowered gates or crawl under them is dangerous. "It is dangerous to let any part of your body project from the car window or platform. "Be careful. In crossing make sure that there is no danger from a train on another track. Wait! It is dangerous to cross in face of a moving or close to the rear of a standing train or car.

1034 IMPROVEMENT ERA "A scout plays safe as much for the other fellow's sake as for his own. "He does not jump off moving trains, cars, or engines, and scouting activities are such that he does not care to loiter around railroad stations, or to play on or around turn tables. He reads cautionary signs and rules for safety posted at stations, crossings, etc. He obeys all danger signals and warnings. General "Accidents due to hitching on wagons with carts or roller skates are very common. "A scout prefers to coast in the open field rather than around a much- traveled highway or across car tracks. "Sling shots, air guns, or 'beebee' guns have no place in the scout program. He knows that they are dangerous. "Keep away from excavations and open manholes. "Let strange dogs alone. "A scout knows that sand and stones are very dangerous when thrown. "Use your own sanitary drinking cup in public places. "Have your little scratches and bruises taken care of at once. "Pick up banana peels and deposit them in proper receptacles. "The push-mobile and skate-mobile are dangerous devices; be careful. (c) Safety at school: "Assist your teacher or principal in organizing a safety patrol among the older boys of your school. The following are some of the duties of the safety patrol: "Guard street intersections near school as children come to school. "Keep children out of street at dismissal. "Help smaller children over crossings. "Post bulletins of advice to pupils for co-operation in safety work. "Make reports of accidents with suggestions for prevention. "Give notice to principal of any dangerous conditions. "Report open manholes, blocked hallways and fire escapes, protruding nails, or injurious obstructions, broken wires of all kinds report the build- ing of fires in dangerous places; for example, in the alley, near the fences or buildings. "Doors should open outward. Panics and Their Prevention "Note all exits as you enter a building. "In case of a panic at an indoor assembly, scouts, if they live up to their motto, 'Be Prepared,' will be able to save hundreds of lives. "Distribute the crowd. Use all exits leading to safety. "There is usually time for people to get out of a building if the exits are not blocked by too many crowding them at once. One should, if pos- sible, try to arrange to have the performance go on, and the others could reassure the people and get them to go out quietly through the exits pro- vided, which, according to law, must open outward and be marked by illuminated signs. "Keep crowd moving after passing through exit. "Scouts know how quickly and safely our school buildings are cleared by means of well-organized fire drills. "Keep cool. Fires and Their Prevention "A scout is careful of disposing of a lighted match. He knows tha,t it may fall upon inflammable material and start a fire.

SCOUTING A FACTOR IN PROMOTING SAFETY 1035 "Reading in bed by the light of a lamp or candle is dangerous, for if the reader goes to sleep the bed clothing is likely to catch fire. "A room in which the odor of gas is apparent should never be entered with a light, and in handling gunpowder a scout should have no matches in his pockets. How to Put Out Burning Clothing "It your clothing should catch fire do not run for help, as this will fan the flames. "Lie down and roll up as tightly as possible in an overcoat, blanket, rug, or any woolen article. "If nothing can be obtained in which to wrap up, lie down and roll over slowly, at the same time beating the fire with the hands. "If another person's clothing catches fire, throw him on the ground and smother the fire with a coat, blanket, or rug. "Remember that woolen material is much less inflammable than cotton." To obtain a merit badge for Safety First, a Scout must pass a satisfactory examination in the following eight important points: 1. State four or more dangerous conditions in the average home and indicate what steps should be taken to correct these conditions. 2. Produce satisfactory evidence that he is personally responsible for the application of at least two constructive safety first principles in his own home. 3. Name the most serious violation of public safety principles which has come under his observation and produce satisfactory evidence that he has done all within his power to correct the same. 4. State in writing at least six of the most important regulations covering street safety to meet the conditions of the neighborhood in which he lives. 5. State in writing at least six of the most important regulations cov- ering street safety to meet the conditions of the school he last attended. 6. Submit in writing ah outline of his own plan for a school fire drill and explain the method of properly carrying it into effect. 7. State in writing at least six violations of Safety First principles which are responsible for accidents in connection with railroads. 8. Stand a 'satisfactory examination showing a knowledge of the importance of the Safety First Movement and the most important principles it involves, and satisfactorily demonstrate his ability to assume leadership in case of a fire, panic, or other disaster. With such a program as this outline indicates, certainly, £«n\le- men of this Safety Section, you and the great railway organization of the country which you represent can make no more profitable in- vestment of talent or money than to give both of these freely for the purpose of encouraging and supporting this splendidly patriotic and genuinely American organization, the Boy Scouts of America. To- repeat — "A Scout is helpful." He must be at any time prepared to save life. Nor is this all. A scout is trustworthy, loyal, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, brave, clean and reverent. Place your trust in him and you will find him dependable. A scientific investigation made recently showed that among many groups

1036 IMPROVEMENT ERA under trying tests the Boy Scouts stood first in honesty. Place your trust in these scouts, they will not disappoint you. They are splendid little men. I think you may search our country over without finding a more responsive or a more efficient group when it comes to helping to reduce this great number of casualties, than the sparkling little characters — the Boy Scouts of America, half-a-million strong. I Know I Know I know I know that God and Nature are Phenomena of fundamental thought That thrill my being like a brilliant star Whose rays of light my sense of sight have caught. I know they have upon my nature wrought The changes that have made my spirit bold, And in the fights of life that I have fought They have enriched my mind a thousandfold With wealth I would not change for vaults of gleaming gold. I know I know my soul can never die And that the Universe will always be A dwelling place for those who toil and try To reach the goal of truth and liberty. I know my mind is fearless and free To scale the crags to an exalted goal, And reach the summits of a destiny That gratify the longings of my soul For fairer views of life and firmer self-control. I know I know that life is not for sorrow, And that the darkest caverns of despair May be illumined by a light tomorrow That makes the world look beautiful and fair. I know this balmy breath and fragrant air Can kill the germs of ruin and decay, And that the sharpest spurse of pain and care Can urge the spirit on its shining way. For training to command is teaching to obey. I know I know that in my heart of hearts There is a latent spark of heavenly fire That kindles many fierce and flaming darts Of pleasing fancy and of fond desire. I know I love all beings who admire The things that lift my vision to the sky; And if the strains of my discordant lyre Can hush the harshness of a human cry, I shall be glad to live and well prepared to die. Provo, Utah ALFRED OSMOND.