--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 29 number: 2 published: 1925-12 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: "Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations, “Editor’s Table,” *Improvement Era* 29, no. 2 (December 1925): 198–201." source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera2902unse 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: improvementera2902unse start_page: 198 end_page: 201 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1925-12) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera2902unse publication_year: 1925 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 1925, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # Editor’s Table Editors' ^Table The Sabbath Day The question is often asked, What shall we do on Sundaysi? We cannot fold our hands in contemplation and sit in the house all day and read. What then shall we do? Where shall we draw the line between do and don't? This is particularly the cry of the young people when we speak of honoring the Sabbath day. What does the Lord say about it? Let us consider a few things he tells us that we can do on the Sabbath day. 1. Sacrifice unto the Lord thy God in righteousness. This means we are to give up, for the health and comfort of others, some selfish things that we ourselves want to do. Sunday is the day of service and sacrifice as well as worship. We can visit the sick and the poor and bestow help and comfort instead of seeking selfishly the freedom that pleases us. 2. Go to the House of prayer (your sacramental meetings) and offer up your sacraments unto the Lord and thank him in all things. This means that we renew, seal, and ratify, our covenants between ourselves and God, which we made at the waters of baptism. Showing also that we are willing to take upon us the name of Christ, and that we do remember him — a sign of real spiritual feeling in the soul. 3. Rest from you labors. Do no unnecessary work of any kind. It is a day of relief from physical and mental labor. It is a day mainly provided for the needed rest for man and beast. 4. Worship God. Pay your devotions to the Most High. This means that we confess our shortcomings and sins and remember to fulfil our sacred vows and promises made to the Lord in holy places. That we recognize God as our Father and Jesus Christ, his Son, as our Savior, and remember to fulfil our promises to them and keep their commandments. 5. Render your unselfish services with glad hearts and with thanksgiving and cheerful countenances. Throw aside all resentment. Enter into the spirit of worship. Love God with all your heart, and serve him in the name of Jesus Christ, thus keeping the Sabbath day holy. As to the joy, and the beautiful temporal and spiritual blessings coming to us if Sunday is thus spent, read the exhaustless promises in the Doctrine and Covenants, Section 59, verses 3-5; 15-20, in- clusive. You may be sure also that these pledges of the Lord shall be fulfilled for he declares, "I, the Lord, am bound when ye do what I say, but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise." When in doubt as to what to do on the Sabbath, let us iust ask EDITORS' TABLE 199 ourselves: Is that which I am contemplating doing, holy? Is the purpose of it holy? What does holy mean? These are very important questions because we are asked to keep holy the Sabbath day. Holy means innocent, virtuous, spiritually sound, free from sinful affection, pure in heart, guiltless and acceptable to God. We have, of course, our free agency and. in possession of the facts, must judge for ourselves what to do and what not to do. Young children, however, are not to be governed by their own feelings, which are generally expressed in the selfish declaration, "I want to," but they should be ruled by the counsel and direct statement of their parents who are responsible for them, and who must insist upon teaching them in their early days what to do and what not to do. Now here are some things that are sometimes indulged in, which, in our judgment, are not suitable to act up to on the Sabbath day. In view of what the Lord has said, what is your judgment about doing the following things on Sunday? Hiking for pleasure over the hills; auto riding for pleasure; hunting and fishing; attending movies, the- atres, secular musical concerts, and pleasure resorts; working in gardens and on farms; mowing or tending lawns; doing odd jobs around the premises; playing golf or any other game; dancing in public halls, and in homes; attending races or ball games; holding trousseau teas; absent- ing one's self from sacramental and religious services. In our opinion, all these, and kindred actions involving work, pleasure and entertainment, are against the spirit of the Sabbath day and contrary to the will of the Lord. Our counsel and advice, therefore, to parents and young people, is well stated by Joshua to the children of Israel in the following paraphrase: "Now, therefore, fear the Lord, and (serve him in sincerity and truth * * * and if it seems evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye shall serve * * * but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." The people of Israel in answer to this appeal by Joshua, said: "God forbid that we should forsake the Lord; * * * the Lord our God will we serve and his voice will we obey." On this holiday occasion, we do honor and respect the birthday of Christ by the spirit of giving, by love and service, to our fellows. Let us not forget there is one other thing we can do to honor him: We can keep his commandments, one of which is: The Sabbath is a day appointed unto you to rest from your labors, and to pay your devotions to the Most High. — A. An Appeal for Co-operation in Recreation To Presidents of Stakes and Bishops of Wards: Deaf Brethren: As you know, the Presidency of the Church have assigned to the General Boards of the Young Mens' and Young 200 IMPROVEMENT ERA Ladies' Mutual Improvement Associations, supervision over the gen- eral recreational activities of the Church, to establish and maintain proper standards in this field through their organization. In carrying out this assignment, we have made suggestions from time to time, to our local Mutual officers; and, generally, we have sent copies of these instructions to Presidents of stakes and Bishops of wards, so that they, too, might be familiar with what we are trying to accomplish. Through this assignment, we are charged with the task of leader- ship in recreation for all the organizations. However, it is not possible for us successfully to carry this work forward, without the full and hearty cooperation of all the organizations of the Church. Full cooperation and sympathy is not possible unless the heads of these several auxiliary organizations in both the stakes and wards, under the help of the stake presidents and ward bishops, have the opportunity to participate in the building of our recreational program. We have, therefore, suggested that the Stake Recreation Committee, shall be chosen by the Presidency of the stake and the officers of the Young Mens' and Young Ladies' of the stake. This committee is charged with the responsibility of bringing a suggestive program of standards in recreation to the officers of the stake boards of the Mutuals. When these have approved it, they are to present it to the Presidency of the stake, who will in turn bring the matter before the heads of all the stake auxiliary boards. The Presidency of the Church have suggested that there be a meeting occasionally, and we have suggested once a month, to hear the reports of the Mutual officers and the M. I. A. Committee on Recreation, in this field. Undoubtedly, there will be other matters also that will need attention at these meetings for joint discussion, decision and cooperation. It is also suggested that there should be a meeting at least once each month in the ward, with the Bishopric presiding. Here the reports of the Mutual officers of the ward, who bring the recommenda- tions of the ward M. I. A. Committee on Recreation for the consider- ation of the officers of all the organizations, should be considered. At this meeting the fullest freedom should be given to rebuild the pro- gram suggested, to alter or change it, and finally to adopt it, that it may become the program for recreation in the ward in which all the organizations may cooperate under the leadership of the M. I. A. Committee on Recreation. We hope that you are assisting our officers to accomplish this task, and that we have your full cooperation and help to get the support of all the other organizations in your stake and in your ward, that there may be success to the entire Church through this fine spirit of cooperation in this field and in this obligation which have come to the M. I. A. Of course, you understand also that our object in producing a program of recreation is to provide good, wholesome recreation for EDITORS' TABLE 201 the membership of the Church, where we may keep the flock clean, keep the wolves out. We are not to look upon recreation as essentially for the purpose of raising money, but for the purpose, chiefly, of giving the young people of our Church, and older members, a good, healthy, clean recreational program, in which all may fully participate. At the same time, we expect recreation to pay its own way, and probably it will do more than that. We should try, from the proceeds, to build up our recreational facilities. The matter of distributing these funds, it must be remembered, is entirely in the hands of the Bishopric of the ward and the officers of the auxiliary organizations who have raised the funds. Hoping that we mav be helpful in assisting you to solve some of these problems for the members of the Church, in vour stakes and wards, We are, with best wishes and compliments of the season, Your brethren, George Albert Smith, Richard R. Lyman, Melvin J. Ballard, Superintendency of the Y. M. M. 1. A. fThe Morning The mountain spires are tipped with gold And sunbeams shower upon the hills; The Darkness which made night so bold Is chased away. And light now fills Each cragged gorge and wooded glen, And e'en the dark rock-walled abyss Doth smooth it's scowling brow again, To catch an early morning kiss. Below, the broad green valley lies, Its breast bespangled with the dew; All peaceful 'neath the vaulted skies It smiles, at yonder changing blue; 'Tis bordered with uneven shades, Poor relics of departed night, Warm sunbeams sip from tender blades The liquid pearls pure, clear, and bright. Logan, Utah. SAMUEL B. MlTTON.