The Great Hope

THE GREAT HOPE By C. N. Lund Once, in the long ago, a certain widow's son went out to sea with one of the big ships, that he might learn to be a sailor. Two or three years later, while on leave of absence, he came back to visit the old home and to see the lonely little mother. After spending a week at home he walked arm in arm with her down the flower-fringed path to the garden gate, placed a fine token of remembrance about her neck, pressed a kiss upon her lips and, stepping away, waved a last farewell, The mother's tender gaze followed him until his form faded from sight in the autumn haze. How straight and manly he walked; how proud she was of him! A short time afterward came the news that he had gone down with the ship to the bottom of the deep sea. This news distracted his mother. But haply, over the sorrow and semi-darkness that en- veloped her mind, there shone one smiling light which was ever be- fore her — the luminous memory of her boy. In her soul stirred the sublime faith that, some day, out of all the days to come, that boy of hers would return, just as he had returned before, and again walk with her along the garden path into the warmth and sweet-smelling silence of home. So every day she arranged the large front room, adorned and per- fumed it with flowers, clothed herself in her best gown, placed the token about her neck, and went out to the rustic gate, hoping to meet her boy. There, at a certain hour each afternoon, she would stand, sometimes with outstretched hands and sometimes with folded arms, peering through tears, into the distance, dim with mists, hoping, praying, believing that sometime her boy would come to her. This hope completely obsessed her; it was her peace, her joy, her very life, and in it she dreamed away the otherwise dreary days. What man, or set of men, among all the sons of men, would be mean enough to rob such an one of her great hope? As that poor woman stood daily by her garden gate, gazing hope- fully out through the mellow\ sunlight toward the sea, trying to glimpse the sail of a ship that should bring her boy to her bosom, so stand we all before the future's locked gate, peering hopefully out toward the crystal sea of eternity, watching, waiting for sight of a nearing sail that shall bring to our arms, the loved and lost who drifted away on an unseen spar and left us lonely and sorrowing. Yes, we stand there, hoping, praying, believing that when our eyes shall be lifted to the vision of the world beyond, we shall find the gates ajar and behold, coming, tripping joyfully toward us, ready to fall into our outstretched arms, our dear ones, just as they left us, to leave us no more forever! What man, or set of men, among all the sons of men, would be mean enough to rob us of this sublime hope, this flaming faith, this burning belief?

YOUR LOVER Andante. Words and Masic by C. E. Richardson, Thatcher, Ariz. 1. Yon have one true lov- er, No-ble, handsome, brave; Fond and doting 2. Would you hurt your lover, Wound his loving heart? Such a faith-ful 3. When sin tempts you think then, Of your lover's tears; Of his sor - row, 4. Hurt him then, 0 nev-er, Shield him from that pain; For his sake, 0 ggzzzjjzzzj=g-L.;g-_ E» — ' •-ELz=fezbz^zr=: lov - er, Sighing still to save You from self de - struction, That which lov - er, Always takes your part, On - ly can you hurt him, When some think then, Lasting, endless years, Through his love forgiveness, May be nev - er Yield to sin a - gain, For us he, our Brother, Felt the ta_|JL-I-zE=g: *" p — m — m — v- X £ rtzzzzfizzrfz ^Lrzzfzzig ty F C£- ■J \S hides in sin; From that self-de-struc-tion, Where all woes be wrong you do; That will surely hurt him, Wound his trust in yours at last, But can that for-give-ness, Hide the shameful scourging rod; He's our own dear Brother; He's our Lov - er 4L IS IN :£=fz=c.i=zzzrJzzzJ= V- :tz: -(22. m -0~ t-- - gm- you. past"? God. — (S- CHORUS. Jesus loves you! Jesus loves you! Happy you will make him, If you do no wroDg. - — w—m-w — — 1 m r -JH — ^— < — • — h — i — i 1 Fi ■ U \J y — y — *-y — y — y y L -v v v v *-V—v -y—y- t: V % * V

Editors ^Table Church Activity — The Divinity of Christ — Power of Priesthood* By President Heber J. Grant I rejoice again at having the opportunity of meeting with ihe Saints in General Conference. It is a very inspiring sight to see this large Tabernacle filled to overflowing, and people standing, at the first session. The Radio The exercises of today and throughout the conference are to be broadcasted; and it is estimated that in the neighborhood of a million people will be able to hear all that is said, provided they are listening in during the conference sessions. The radio is one of the most marvelous inventions man knows anything about. To have the voice carried for thousands of miles seems almost beyond compre- hension. Let us Serve God with all Might, Mind, and Strength I rejoice in the remarkable and wonderful growth of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ in our day. Over a year before the Church was organized a short revelation was given through the Prophet Joseph, directed to his father. It reads as follows: "Now behold, a marvelous work is about to come forth among the children of men. "Therefore. O ye that embark in the service of God, see that ye serve him with all your heart, might, mind and strength, that ye may stand blameless before God at the last day. "Therefore, if ye have desires to serve God ye are called to the work; "For behold the field is white already to harvest; and lo, he that thrusteth in his sickle with his might, the same layeth up in store that he perisheth not, but bringeth salvation to his soul ; "And faith, hope, charity and love, with an eye single to the glory of God, qualify him for the work. "Remember faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, brotherly kindness, godliness, charity, humility, diligence. "Ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you." If there is any one thing more than another that I desire to impress upon the hearts of the Latter-day Saints it is that we should in very deed serve God with all our might, mind and strength, that ♦Opening address at the ninety-fifth semi-annual conference of the Church.

76 IMPROVEMENT ERA we may keep pace with the progress of His work here upon the earth. This very audience here today, the immense auditorium filled to overflowing, testifies more eloquently than any language of mine regarding the growth of the Church of Jesus Christ. When I recall the revelations that were given to the Prophet Joseph prior to the organization of the Church foretelling the growth and the accomplish- ments of the work of God here upon the earth, it is one of many testimonies to me regarding the divinity of this work in which you and I are engaged. Outstanding Events and Activities of the Church in the Past Six Months I believe the Saints will be interested in knowing something of the progress in various ways that has taken place in the Church since we last assembled here. Within a few weeks after the April con- ference it fell to my lot to go East and hold meetings in Denver, of the Western States mission, in Independence, Kansas City and St. Louis of the Central States mission, and later to visit Omaha in the Western States mission. I had the privilege of speaking in all of these places, also meeting with and instructing our elders. I found a wonderful spirit of loyalty on the part of the Mission presidents, of the elders, and of the lady missionaries in all of these places. I rejoiced exceedingly in visiting with them. I came in contact with a number of influential men, some of whom attended our services. Several of them afterward expressed their pleasure in having heard something regarding our faith that was new to them. The great majority of mankind pay little or no attention to the message of the Latter-day Saints, but many pay a great deal of attention to the things of a detrimental character that are published against us. Today men of intelligence, men of thought, and men who are studying, in seeing the wonderful progress of the work of God here on the earth, are beginning to realize that there must be something good in it, considering the class of people that are attracted to it. I had the pleasure of playing a game of golf in Kansas City, and learned that the title to part of the very ground upon which we were playing originally stood in the name of the Bishop of the "Mormon" Church. I also learned that a large proportion of Kansas City stands upon ground once owned by the Latter-day Saints. The title to much of it has never passed, and the only title people today have to a portion of that great city is by possessing the grounds. In tracing the abstracts back they find that the title originally was in the name of the Bishop of the "Mormon" Church. We all remember with gratitude the wonderful courage and manhood of General Doniphan in saving the life of the Prophet Joseph. Part of our holdings in that section of the country — thousands of acres, as I remember it — was turned over to Doniphan as a fee for legal