Recollections

RECOLLECTIONS By B. Morris Young, an Officer of the First Y. M. M. I. A. My early association with the Young Men's Mutual Improve- ment Association made a profound impression upon my mind and left upon my character an influence for righteousness which has enriched all my life, strengthened my testimony, and aided me in developing and maintaining the principles of truth in my home and in all my public and private affairs. My recollection concerning the first Y. M. M. I. A. is of the 9th day of June, 1875. Brother Junius F. Wells told me there was going to be a meeting in the 13th Ward assembly hall June 10, at 7 o'clock, to begin organizing the young men, and asked me to see as many as I could of the boys, and tell them of this meeting. I remember well calling on Prof. Charles J. Thomas as he was a great friend of mine, and we thought a great deal of each other. I told a number of the boys about the meeting, but I do not remember their names. According to appointment we met on that occasion. Brother Thomas and I were among the first on the ground in front of the 13 th Ward assembly hall, the boys gradually came, until we had fifteen or twenty young men and quite a number of older men. The bishop came and went in the meetinghouse which was pretty well filled. Most of the young men still stood on the outside waiting for Junius, as he had not yet appeared. He finally came, seemed glad to greet us, and said: "Come on, boys, let us go in." Some of us hesitated, for we were all bashful. I well remember President Heber J. Grant, (he was about 18 years old) for he was the tallest one in the crowd. Brother Wells finally got us all to go inside; we took seats with the older people in the audience. Then Brother Junius called a few of us to come to th? stand, but the boys were too modest to face the people. He finally got some of us to come. I will state that Brother Wells tried to get Bishop Woolley and some of the other bishops to go up on the stand, but they all refused saying, "It is your meeting, not ours." Brother Wells called the meeting to order. Professor C. J. Thomas led the congregation in singing. I am impressed that it was, "We thank thee, O God, for a prophet," but am not sure. I was called to open the meeting with prayer. Singing by the congregation. Brother Junius F. Wells occupied the time for three-quarters of an hour, explaining the object of the meeting. He spoke upon the necessity of young men getting testimonies for themselves and not to be depending on the testimonies of their parents. He stated that President Brigham Young had called him to begin organizing the young men and had given the name of the society — That it was to be The Young Men's Mutual Improvement Association. He asked the congregation to accept this name and to organize a society in the 13 th Ward, and offered the

RECOLLECTIONS 955 names of the following to be officers: Henry A. Wooley, President, B. Morris Young, First Counselor, Heber J. Grant, Second Counselor, Hyrum H. Goddard, Secretary. Then he asked all those who were willing to join to come to the stand and enroll their names at the close of the meeting. Benediction by Charles J. Thomas. My father's mind was considerably exercised over the conduct of some of the young men of those days, not only his own sons, but those of his friends, for youth is the same yesterday today and forever. Father knew that youthful vigor and ambition needed guidance and direction into paths of safety and righteousness. My first knowledge of his feelings on this subject came about through his sending for me to come to him in his bedroom which was then located in the southeast corner of the Lion House. This occurred on November 7, 1875, about ten o'clock in the forenoon. As 1 entered the room he stood near the south window looking out doors. He turned as I entered and said to me: "Morris, I have received a letter from Brother Junius F. Wells who is now on a mission in the Eastern States. He makes report of the work he has been doing in organizing the Young Men's Associa- tions. I want this work to continue and grow. I do not want it to die out. I am going to appoint Brother John Henry Smith, Milton H. Hardy and yourself to take up and continue this labor. I want you boys to travel throughout the territory. Visit every settlement and organize in each ward these associations. I have prepared a letter which I will give you, and you are to deliver this and convey to the people my wishes as expressed in this letter." Some other conversation ensued about the details of the trip, but father was a man of few words, and he always expected men, when he put a mission upon them, to use their own minds and develop their own plans in order to carry out that mission. He did not try to think for other people. He wanted each man and woman to learn to think and act for themselves. I knew this, and so I asked father no questions, but went out to do as I was re- quested. I took his letter with me and made an appointment to go to the Twelfth Ward meetinghouse where Brother Milton H. Hardy was teaching school. He read the letter and was greatly surprised but he said: "I will be pleased to go with you, as soon as my school is out, which will be in a short time. I will arrange for someone to take my place in the school." Then I went to the Utah Central freight office, where Brother John Henry Smith was working, loading freight, and I handed the letter to him to read. He, too, was surprised, but pleased that he had been thus chosen by father. However, he said: " I can not leave my work here now, but you boys go and do your

956 IMPROVEMENT ERA duty, and as often as possible I shall be pleased to go with you. When you arrange to visit the wards in the city, in the evenings I can come with you." Brother Smith, Brother Hardy and myself made an active cam- paign throughout the whole city, and before a month had elapsed we had visited each ward and completed organizations in all of the places we visited. In December, 1875, we began our trip to visit the settlements and organize associations throughout all the wards and stakes of the Church. We enjoyed the work very much indeed, and the Lord was with us. Everywhere the bishops received us cordially, and the priesthood and parents gave every assistance possible in the development of this new and much needed work. When I saw the results of that early activity, as they were mani- fested during the Jubilee, I can partly realize what a force for good these organizations have been during the last half century. I would not say that my father builded better than he knew, for he was a prophet of God, and vision of his mind no doubt leaped forward into the future, seeing not only the goodly results we find today, but viewing as well what a tremendous loss to the community it would have been if no such organization had been founded. My father's great desire was for each young man who came into these organizations to secure for himself a testimony of the mission of the Lord Jesus Christ, who died to save mankind, and of the mission of the Prophet Joseph Smith who also died that he might bear testimony to the world. In closing I would like to say, in the words of my father, which have had a lasting impression with me: "I am proud of my religion, it is the only thing I am proud of on this earth. I may heap up gold and silver like the mountains, I may gather around me property, goods, and chattels, but I could find no glory in that, compared with my religion. It is the fountain of light and intelligence, It swailows up all the truth contained in the philosophy of the world, both heathen and Christian, it circumscribes the wisdom of mam it circumscribes the wisdom and intelligence of all the world, it reaches to that within the veil. Its bounds, its heights, its depths, it circumference, no mortal can comprehend, for it has none." God bless the Y. M. M. I. A. and the Y. L. M. I. A.. Dr. William Brady says: "If a man uses tobacco excessively or drinks moderately or 'socially,' or has litigation spine, his chil- dren are more likely to be epileptic, hysterical or 'queer.' Poor stuff begets poor stuff."